Another Swan
by SakuraBlossom58
Summary: Emma had a friend in high school who was there to help with Henry's birth. Like Emma, she has a troubled past. They even share the same last name! When Jenna Swan goes to Storybrooke to visit Emma, she finds herself fatally attracted to a certain Deal Maker. But this isn't just a romance, there's lots of twists and surprises! Buckle your seat belts,its going to be a bumpy ride!
1. Coming to Town

I stepped out of my car and looked around the unfamiliar town for a head of familiar bouncy blond curls. A man walked towards me with a Dalmatian at his side. "Excuse me, Sir?" He pulled up short and gave me an anxious smile. "What can I do for you?" Very educated, this man. He had a pleasing voice and adorable glasses. He reminded me of my cousin Albert. "Would you happen to know Emma Swan? I'm an old friend of hers." The man was twisting the dog leash between his nervous fingers, and I feared the dog might soon choke. "I was unaware Emma had any friends before coming here. She is such a private person." I gave him a smile to try and soothe his nerves. What was wrong with this guy? "She doesn't have many. I think I'm the only one. Could you point me in the direction of where she lives?" He shook his head. "She's not home right now; she's probably taking her lunch break at Granny's. I'm headed there myself, if you'd like to accompany me." I smiled and thanked him. We walked in the direction of the diner and I turned to him. "I just realized that I never properly introduced myself. I'm Jenna Swan. Emma and I went to high school together." My aunt would be ashamed of me; forgetting my manners like that! The man smiled back, a genuine one this time, and shook my hand. "Archie Hopper. I'm the resident psychiatrist." I giggled a little then. It was a bad habit of mine and some people found it downright nerve wracking. Mr. Hopper seemed to be more frightened than most. "I'm sorry, sometimes I just get random thoughts in my head and they make me laugh." He gave me a forced smile and we stopped at the door to the diner. I could see Emma through the window, drinking something and talking to a boy who looked to be about twelve or so. Mr. Hopper opened the door. "Ladies first." I think he was glad to be rid of me.

XXX

So, first chappie. I know it's short, but I wanted it to end there. I don't think all of my chapters will be so short. Anyway, I love Rumpel, and I wanted to make an OC. A little later more of her past will be revealed, so don't worry about that. Thanks for reading!

Oh, and as always, I still do not own the license to this particular show, although I may wish that I did.


	2. A Curse and a Mayor

Nobody looked up when we entered, and I was grateful for small mercies. I plunked down across from Emma, sitting next to the cute kid. The both looked at me in surprise, and when Emma saw who it was she grinned. "Jenna! I thought said you couldn't make it!" I shrugged, and put on an air of self-pity. "Yes, well, my client backed out at the last minute. Something about a death in the family? I suppose they just weren't in much of a partying mood." I turned to the kid next to me and held out my hand. "I'm Jenna Swan. Emma and I go way back." The kid grinned and shook my proffered hand. "Henry. Emma's son." I blinked and then looked up to Emma. She was watching us closely. "You found him?" She grinned a little. "He found me."

We spent the next two hours talking about all that had happened in the months that she'd been here. I was impressed. For such a small town, it certainly was exciting. "It was boring until Emma came here." Henry said, as if reading my mind. "She's making things interesting again. She's going to break the curse." Emma shot him a glance and I gave a confused smile. "Curse?" Emma groaned good naturedly and Henry grinned up at me. Another hour was spent discussing the curse and who the various townspeople were. I believed that Henry was telling the truth, or at least that he thought that he was. He believed in this, and that was what mattered. I was a little skeptic about parts of it, but a good chunk made sense, in a twisted way.

The bell to the diner went off and I looked up to see a man and a woman enter. My eyes skimmed the woman –tall-ish, with black… well, everything –and then riveted on the man next to her. Tall –definitely taller than my five-six anyway, and sexy. He was wearing a black suit. I could see a white shirt and red tie underneath his jacket. The fact that he limped with a cane only added to the unexpected attraction I felt. They had stopped in the door and were looking around, searching for us probably. I turned to Emma when they headed our way. "Madame Mayor and Mr. Gold. Brace yourself, it's never pleasant to be in the company of both at the same time." My gaze lifted and I saw the woman stop a pace in front of Mr. Gold. She gave me a sickeningly honeyed smile and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Regina, the mayor. This-" she motioned behind her –"is Mr. Gold. We wanted to welcome you to Storybrooke. It's not often that we get new arrivals. I see you've already made the acquaintance of our Sheriff. How long will you be staying?" I smiled back at her. "I've known Emma for years, Madame Mayor. As for how long I'll be staying I am unsure. For the holidays, at least. I do have things to attend to back in Boston, and my schedule is only clear for three weeks." Her smile had grown forced, now that she knew I had befriended Emma quite some time ago. Perhaps she saw me as a trouble maker. Emma certainly was! "Well, I'm sure that something unexpected will come up back home. Feel free to give me a call if you need any assistance getting back to Boston." I gave a confused little frown, and Mr. Gold cleared his throat. "I believe that our Mayor is trying to offer her assistance in anything you might require during your brief stay in Storybrooke." I took no longer than a split second to inwardly swoon at his voice and responded, "That's very kind of you, thank you Regina. I may have to take you up on that." She nodded and turned to stiffly walk away. Mr. Gold gave me a parting smirk, looking as if he'd triumphed over something, and then followed. I looked out the window where I could see them part of the way down the street. Regina was in his face, spitting venom. Mr. Gold was looking very smug and responded with something that shut her up instantly. I grinned at Emma. "Wow, I thought you said it'd be bad?" Emma shook her head in bewilderment. "They hate each other. I'm surprised they were quite that civil. Usually it's thinly veiled threats from her and openly spoken promises from him. Not good promises, mind you." I laughed. "Emma, our walking lie detector, missed that? Regina was threatening me, and Mr. Gold turned the tables on her so that it made it seem as if she was offering to be my pageboy." Emma grinned back sheepishly. "I did miss it, I was a little spacey."

XXXX

Soo, another chapter. I hope I didn't make anybody to OC ish. I tried to fit them in character.

Still doesn't belong to me, so for now I must content myself with fanfiction.


	3. Calling in a Favor

"Where have all the good men gone?" Since I'd gotten here two days ago, I'd had two men ask me out, and another put moves on me. He'd learned with a sharp knee to the groin that I hate being touched by people. I can usually tell what someone is feeling when I have skin to skin contact. It's terrible. Probably an effect of all the drugs my mother did when she was pregnant with me –must have unlocked a portion of my brain that normal people don't use. Emma smirked at me.

"They're back in the friend zone where you left them. What are you waiting for, anyway? A god?" Emma was convinced that I needed a little romance in my life. As my 'younger sister' –she had proclaimed that we would be sisters when we were still in high school –she felt it was her duty to insure my happiness. I grinned back at her. "No, just somebody that I can have sex with without knowing how repulsed they are by me. Or have you forgotten?" I'd told her about my curse when she'd told me about her superpower. We often joked about becoming a team and fighting evil with our abilities. She also knew about the numerous scars that littered my body. She smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sure he'll come along eventually. You've just got to be patient."

My smile held only slight amusement. "Patient, my dear sister? I've been patient for thirty years, how much longer must I wait?" I was two years older than she was –she'd skipped a grade and I'd been held back one. She seemed to consider my question and then shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find him here, Jen. In Storybrooke. August isn't taken." I grimaced. "I'd be afraid of splinters." We both laughed at that. Perhaps it was unkind to be laughing at a dying man's belief that he was Pinocchio, but…

The bell over the door chimed, letting us know that someone had entered the diner. We didn't bother ourselves with looking; it wasn't an uncommon happening. I picked up my coffee mug and took a swig. A faint fragrance drifted through the air –one which smelled of musk and spice –a moment before someone stopped before our table. I looked up and saw Mr. Gold giving us a faint smile.

"Good evening, Ladies." I raised my mug in salutation, my mouth still full of coffee. Emma wasn't so pleasant. "Gold. What do you want?" I giggled for the answer _'your first born'_ had popped into my head quite unexpectedly. He shot me an amused glance, as if he'd know what I was thinking, while Emma shook her head, being used to my antics. "I came to discuss the matter of your favor to me." She blanched. "Oh, don't worry, dearie. It's nothing illegal. Or even extremely unpleasant." Her grimace grew more pronounced. "Gold, whenever you say that, it always ends up unpleasant." I giggled again. "Em, babe, he said it'd not be extremely unpleasant, not that it wouldn't be unpleasant at all." I received a glare. "Whose side are you on?"

"Why, I'm on your side! I was just trying to help you." She laughed begrudgingly. She could never stay mad at me for long. Mr. Gold had been watching the exchange with amusement. "Actually, my favor had to do with your dear friend here." My head perked up and I scooted over on the seat, patting next to me. He sat and gave me a grateful smile, and I realized that his leg must have been paining him more than usual.

"Are you gonna tell me what your favor is?" Gold was focused on Emma. "I want you to convince your friend to go to dinner with me tonight." Emma was suspicious. "Just dinner? You don't want anything else?" It was a disbelieving tone. "Just dinner. Nothing else." Emma thought about it for a minute, then turned to look at me. I blinked slowly, to let her know that I didn't think it was a bad idea. She bit her lip and then murmured my name questioningly. I smiled at her and turned to Mr. Gold. "I would love to."


	4. A Date With Mr Gold

_A date with Gold. _I had a date with Gold! I felt school girl excitement bubbling up and had to force it back down. _What are you, fifteen? You've been on plenty of dates! _But none were with men like Gold. Nobody was quite so interesting, amusing, or just downright sexy as that man was. I had to force myself to focus. I couldn't be thinking the entire time how much I wanted to take a roll in the hay with the man; I had to be an active dinner partner. Time enough for fantasizing later.

I was staring at the dresses I'd picked out to wear tonight. I had three, but I wasn't sure which one to choose. Emma was sitting cross-legged at the head of my bed, trying to help. "Black looks good on you, and it'd go great with your red hair, but Regina wears that color, and we don't want to remind him of Regina when he sees you." I nodded absently, studying the red dress. It fell a little past the knee and showed ample cleavage. _Why am I even considering this one?_ I didn't need him thinking that I was a tramp. I rejected that dress too, which left me with the green one on the left edge of the bed. It fell to mid-thigh and was held up by spaghetti straps. It didn't reveal any cleavage, which is why I bought it in the first place.

I held it against my body and Emma sighed happily. "It looks good on you! It goes well with your hair and it matches your eyes." I smiled at her. "And with how pale I am, it should remind him of vanilla ice cream and apple pie!" She chuckled, and then let out a laugh. "He'll want to eat you up even more than he does already!"

XX

I was standing nervously in front of Mr. Gold. His eyes were appreciatively roaming my body, and when he looked up at my face I saw that his eyes had dilated. I felt a surge of heat and he offered his arm. Holding onto his bicep, which was surprisingly well toned, he led me to the town's fanciest restaurant –_La Amour._

I was biting my lip as we were seated and left alone. He gave me a smile. "How is your evening so far, Miss Swan?" I gave him a slightly sardonic smile. "I can't say. It's only barely just begun." I cast a glance at his outfit. Black suit, black shirt, red tie. How did he know I liked that tie? "See something you like, dearie?" My cheeks flushed as I realized I'd been staring. I cleared my throat and decided that he'd already caught me –there was no reason pretending otherwise. "Yes, actually. You look dashing in that suit." A self-satisfied smirk made its way onto his face. "I thought you'd like it. You know, I don't think I've ever had someone use the term 'dashing' while describing me."

I gave him a little smile back –it was actually more of a smirk. "What terms do they usually use? Deal maker? Pawn broker?"

He smiled again. "All of those things, and much worse. Things you don't say in front of a lady."

I laughed. "A lady? Mr. Gold, I can assure you, I am no lady. Of the female species perhaps, but not a delicate flower that cannot hand cursing. I do it myself all the time."

"No, I suppose that you wouldn't be a lady. After all, you are friends with Miss Swan." The waiter brought our wine and waters and then left. I raised my glass in agreement and took a sip of my drink. A small amount of liquid escaped my lips and dribbled out of the corner of my mouth, and made its way down toward my chin. I watched him watch its descent hungrily, and for a moment I could've sworn that he'd leaned forward to lick it from my skin. I wiped it off with a napkin, hoping it hadn't stained my skin. "Did I get it all?" He nodded slowly without removing his eyes from my face, and the waiter returned with our meals at that moment, breaking the spell we'd somehow fallen into.

He set our meals in front of us. I'd gotten pasta and he'd gotten escargot. I bit my lip at the unappetizing sight, and watched as he took a bite. His eyes closed as if it was the most delicious thing he'd ever eaten, and I swallowed hard and took a bite of my own dinner. It was wonderful, of course, but I couldn't focus on the way the food tasted when I was so distracted by him.

I twirled a small amount on my fork and offered it to him, holding up the fork. He bent his head closer and took my fork into his mouth, pulling the food off with his teeth and never once breaking eye contact. He chewed thoughtfully and then swallowed. "Delicious." He murmured. Then he speared some of his and held it up to my mouth. I looked at him, unsure. I'd never had this before. He smiled. "Trust me." My lips parted and he slid the fork into my mouth. I was surprised to find that it wasn't slimy at all, but a little… chewy. And excellently flavored. I swallowed and gave him a shy smile. He smiled back.

The rest of the evening was spent feeding each other from our plates, and drinking wine. The more we were together, and the more we drank; the more I opened up to him, and he to me. He said that he'd had a poor childhood, but one in which he was loved by his parents and elder brothers. He said that his brothers went to war and died, and that when it was his turn to go to war, he ran. They'd caught him in the forest, and dragged him back to the town and beat him, and maimed him so that he could never run again. He'd been clutching at his wine glass during his tale, and I was afraid he'd snap the stem. I gently pried it from his fingers and set it on the table, and then I took his hands into mine. I was shocked to find that I couldn't feel whatever he was feeling. The only other person this had happened with was Emma.

His face was cold, but his eyes were full of agony. I started on my own story, hoping to distract him from his. "I never knew love when I was growing up. My mother was doing a ridiculous number of drugs when she was pregnant with me, and my parents both hated me. Father didn't believe I was his because I had red hair, and Mother hated me for ruining her body. In the beginning it was always just them yelling at each other, or at me. By the time I was three I could make my own meals, do my own laundry, and swear like a sailor. I remember the first time they hit me I was five. I'd just been sent home from school because of what I'd said to another kid in my class. Father was livid, and beat me with his belt until I bled. Mother was too stoned to care.

"Over the years the beatings got worse until father started using knives instead of just fists and feet. One time he cut me so badly that I was taken to the hospital. I've no idea why he bothered, if he wanted me dead so badly. CPS got involved when Father couldn't explain away the cuts and bruises. I was taken from them and given to my mother's sister in my freshman year in high school. I was taught manners, and the Bible, and how to behave like a lady.

"On the day after graduation my father showed up at the door with Mother in tow. They both had guns. They shot my aunt and my twelve year old cousin Albert, and were going to shoot me." I stopped then, taking deep breath and realizing how intoxicated I was. "What happened?" I glanced up, a little startled. I'd forgotten that I was with him, my memories were so painful. "I killed them. I'd been hiding in the kitchen when they killed my family, like a coward. I'd grabbed a knife and marched out into the living room, and stabbed my father in the throat. Then I stabbed him repeatedly in the torso. My mother had turned to run and almost made it to the open door. I threw the knife and it sunk into her heart from behind, somehow getting through all of the ribs.

"The only reason I'm not in jail right now is because the lawyer claimed it was self-defense, and the jury bought it." He was staring at me, a new pain in his eyes. Slowly he pulled off the arm warmers that I had paired with the dress, and made a sound of distress when he saw the scars there. He stood up –a little wobbly, and went to the counter to pay for our meal. I stood up too, surprised that I was more sober than I'd thought I was, and took hold of his arm.

He led me to a beautiful house that I had only seen in passing before. Up the steps and into the house, we didn't even make it past the entry hall before I grabbed him and pulled him to me, crashing lips upon lips. Clothes were quickly shed and he held me out so he could see my skin. Instead of revulsion, his eyes held sorrow. He pulled me back to him and made quick work of kissing every scar, every imperfection. Damn, even drunk off his ass the man was more focused on my pleasure than his own. His lips back on mine he slid into me, and I cried out in pleasure. Our pace was rough and fast, both of us unwilling to slow down. We climaxed at the same time, screaming out the other's name. We collapsed onto the floor together, exhausted, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

XXX

I know it's not the best love scene, but they were both drunk, so it'd be pretty hazy for them too. I tried to make this good though, and long. Next chapter will hopefully be out soon.


	5. Trashcans and Aspirin

I woke up to a splitting headache and churning stomach. Blearily I crawled over to the trash can that we kept by the sofa and emptied the contents of my heaving stomach into the bin, then collapsed to the floor, clutching the wastebasket to my chest. It was then that my foggy mind registered two things. The first being that I was naked, and the second being that… We didn't have a trashcan in our living room.

I sat upright, which made the headache worsen, and looked around. I saw Mr. Gold's naked form sprawled on the floor next to where I'd been laying. I took a moment to appreciate the view –damn that man was fine! –and then the horror set in. Not that I'd slept with him, but that I'd gotten drunk at all. I vaguely remembered telling him about my childhood, but his tale of his childhood was fresh and clear in my memory. I'd been so open with him, and then we'd gone to his house for a bit of passionate lovemaking? He must think me some sort of tramp, falling into bed with him on the first date! I was ashamed of myself really, that I'd let myself get so drunk that I couldn't control myself.

I took a moment to think logically. Did I regret sleeping with him? Well… No. It was the best sexual escapade I'd ever had –not just because I couldn't tell what he was feeling, but because that man definitely knew his way around a woman. I just regretted that I hadn't gotten to know him more, and I was afraid that this would make any chance of a relationship impossible. I groaned as my head pounded in time with my heart. Enough thinking. I needed to find some Aspirin.

I made my way to the bathroom unsteadily, took a moment to vomit into the toilet, and searched the mirror cabinet. I pulled out a bottle and popped two, washing it down with water from the tap. Feeling a little better with something other than alcohol in my stomach, I went to the kitchen and filled a glass halfway, and carried both back out to my sleeping partner.

I tried shaking him to wake him up, but that did nothing. Then I tried kisses, soft and feather light, on his lips and face. That proved to be more effectual, so I continued to kiss my way down his body, and gave him a slow lick on his sac. A sigh escaped his still sleeping lips and his member began to harden. I did this a few more times before taking him into my mouth, determined that he was going to wake up much better than I had. My tongue swirled and licked up his shaft, focusing on the head before finding its way down again. He groaned and I looked up to see his eyes were half open, gazing at me with sleepy lust. I continued my ministrations and I felt his hands slide into my hair, gently caressing my scalp. He stiffened and a guttural groan escaped his lips as he pulsed into my mouth, his seed spurting down my throat.

I looked up at him and gave him a large smile, still licking my lips. He groaned and pulled me down, attacking my lips with kisses. I pulled back after a few minutes and helped him sit up. I saw the moment that his face went pasty and I grabbed the waste bucket just in time. Once he was finished, I took it back and set it to the side, then held out the pain reliever. He took it gratefully and drained the glass in three huge gulps.

I set the glass aside and we sat on the floor, staring at each other, both unsure what to say. I was remembering the way he held me last night, the way he kissed my scars and made me feel beautiful.

After maybe five minutes I softly asked "What do we do now?" He continued to stare at me and then sighed. "Well, you should go home. Miss Swan is probably worried sick about you. As for me…" He trailed off, seeing my expression. "What I meant was –what should we do about us? Do you want to pretend this never –" His vehement exclamation in the negative stopped me from continuing my sentence. "Jenna, I don't ever want to forget this happened." He took my hands in his own; clutched them tightly. "I'm not a man who is good with expressing his emotions, Jenna. However, you need to know that last night was… the best night of my life. I beg of you; unless you truly find me so repulsive that you could not bear for a repeat, please don't go. Don't leave me. We… connect. We could have something wonderful if we let ourselves." His voice was earnest; his expression vulnerable. My heart softened even more towards him. "I was merely suggesting something that you might want. I wasn't sure that you wanted to continue this." He frowned, and then his face lit in a smile. "You are saying yes? You will allow me to court you?" I laughed then, full of joy. "I will." He pulled me into his arms and we stayed like that for what felt like an eternity.

XXX

Hopefully this makes up for the less than stellar love scene last chapter. I promise, there will be many more. I hope Gold's not to OC, I'll just have to try and trust myself with this. Next chappie, Jen goes home to get have a conversation with Emma. Sounds fun!


	6. Uninvited Guest

Emma was nowhere in sight when I entered the apartment, and I tiptoed past the bathroom and the bedroom that she shared with Mary Margaret, hoping to sneak into my room and fall asleep. I opened the door to see Emma sitting cross legged on my bed, flipping through my sketchbook. My cheeks reddened, knowing what she would find. Ever since I'd come to Storybrooke, all of my drawings had turned a little more…adult. She raised an eyebrow and I knew which one she'd stopped at. It was the latest one I'd drawn; and if the characters resembled Mr. Gold and I, well, who could blame me? She grinned at from her spot on the bed, not taking her eyes from the drawing. "I guess I don't need to ask where you were last night." I huffed, crossing my arms. "You're the one who said that I needed to have a man in my life. Mr. Gold just happened to be perfect. He's available, charming, witty, interesting, and very good at making love. Best of all, I can't feel his emotions!" Emma was a little doubtful. "Yes, but he's also got a terrible temper, and he's a loan shark. I've seen him beat the crap out of somebody!" She patted the bed next to her, and I sat down and gave her a grateful smile. "Emma, I appreciate that you're looking out for me, but I promise, I'm a big girl. If he's got a bad temper, I'll teach him how to control it. And who knows, maybe I'll be good for him. Make him less of an ass to everybody." We laughed together and she stood up, giving me a hug. "Just know that I'm here looking out for you, 'kay? If he ever hurts you, I'll kill him." I nodded, believing without a doubt that she would.

XX

I woke up to knocking at the door. I glanced at my alarm clock to see that it was a little after six. Six? Had I really slept that long? I got up and went to the door, opening it. A man stood there –tall, dark hair and a short beard." He gave a smile that was supposed to be charming. "Hi. Is Emma home?" My eyes narrowed. I didn't like this guy. He was giving me bad vibes. "She's not available at the moment. Leave your name and message and I'll make sure she gets back to you as soon as she can." I smirked faintly, realizing with amusement that I sounded like an answering machine.

He eyed me up, and I moved to shut the door in his face. He stuck his foot in before it could close. "Hey now, don't be like that sugar. You're Jenna, right? I'm August." I backed away, seeing that I wasn't going to be able to lock him out. He came closer, stalking towards me like a predator and I felt a flash of fear before determination set in. His fingers reached out and grabbed my neck just as I reached the knife rack in the kitchen. I felt his arousal when his hand closed around the back of my neck, and I could almost imagine what he was longing to do to me. Like Hell! I stretched my fingers behind my back, searching for the handle of a knife. Unfortunately, being in the position to reach for a knife was arching my back, making him think that I was accepting his advances. His hands immediately went to my breasts, covered only by a thin tee. I bit my lip in disgust, but allowed him to touch me as my fingers found what they'd been searching for. I felt him dip his head down and bite hard on a nipple through the fabric. I cried out in pain and my and closed tightly on the handle of the knife and I brought it up, about to ram it into his back when I felt him yanked from me.

I looked up with grateful, teary eyes to see Mr. Gold standing there, beating August with his cane. I'd never seen him so angry! I heard several sickening cracks, and I hoped to god that he'd broken something important to the man and his profession. Once we were certain that he was unconscious, Mr. Gold turned to me, eyes full of concern. It was then that I noticed that my shaking hand still clutched tightly to the knife. His eyes followed mine, and he gently pried the knife from my fingers and set it on the counter, pulling me into his arms. I shook with sobs and he patted my hair, whispering soothing words in my ear. My shaking subsided and he let me go, giving me his cell and telling me to call Emma.

She picked up on the third ring, and when I told her what'd happened, she said she'd be down in five. I turned back to Gold, with confused eyes. "Why did you tear him away? I was about to kill him. I'm grateful that you did, of course, but…" He was stroking my hair again, pressing gentle fingers to my cheeks to wipe away the evidence of my distress. "I couldn't let you kill him. You would have hated yourself even more than you do for the deaths you've already caused." I looked away from him, and he tilted my head up, pressing a soft kiss on my right eyebrow. "And if you'd killed him, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to beat the shit out of him for touching what belongs to me." I felt heat flood my body at such an open declaration of ownership. If anybody else had said that I would've slapped them. Coming from him, I wanted to pull him down and strip him of his clothes. He smirked faintly at me and I smiled back. "There's my girl."

XX

Gold made the three of us tea while Emma interrogated me about the entire ordeal. Once she was satisfied she had all the answers I could give her, she turned to Gold and repeated the process. I'd learned that the reason he was here was to ask me to accompany him on out of town business he needed to conduct next week. The rest was what I'd told Emma, but from a different perspective.

When everything was set, Emma sighed and stood up, gathering the police reports. "I've got to get going. I don't think I'm going to make it home until late tonight, Jenna, so don't wait up." She waived as she headed out the door.

XXX

Another chapter, because I'm amazing. I know, you don't need to say it… Alright, feel free to admire me and bask in my awesomeness. One can wish, huh?

Standard DC applies.


	7. Ice Ice Baby

I stood before Emma late that night, naked and shivering in the frigid air of my bedroom. She was examining my body in the hopes of getting evidence of my assault. "He did that?" She was referring to the bruises on my breasts, and the bite wound around my nipple. I bit my lip and nodded, very uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "What about the bruises on your thighs?" I glanced down in confusion. What bruises? On my hips and thighs were handprints like I'd been grabbed tightly. My cheeks flared when I realized where those came from. "Uh, no. Those weren't him." She grinned at me. "You must be sore from last night then, if those are any indication of how rough he was." I didn't think it was possible for my skin to turn any more red, but apparently I was wrong. "I am a little sore." I confessed. "I slept most of it off earlier though." Emma grinned again, and then shook her head, her smile dying. "Jen, I'm so sorry this happened. I should've known August was a creep. I never intended for this to happen. Man, we can't let Gold see this. He'll kill him!" She was referring to the bite mark.

"I can't see what?" We both looked towards the door in surprise. Emma glared. "Don't you ever knock?" He shrugged. "The door was open." His eyes fell on me, and I saw the moment that his gaze narrowed in on the abused skin of my breasts. He came forward, his limp a little less pronounced than usual. "Sheriff. Is Mr. Booth in that jail cell yet?" Emma was watching him closely for any signs of murderous intent. "No. I needed to collect more evidence before I could do anything." Gold's eyes narrowed dangerously, not leaving my bruises. "I suggest you arrest him now, Miss Swan_." Before I decide to take care of him myself._ The threat hung there, unspoken but very much out in the open. Emma nodded, hurrying to the door. She shot a glance back at me and smiled. "Call if you need me, Jen." I smiled back and she left, shutting the door behind her.

Mr. Gold turned to me, examining my bruises and gently caressing my skin. I sighed as his fingers made slow circles on the tender flesh. When they reached the bite that was still stinging, I winced. He looked up at my face and our eyes connected. "Come, lay down. I'll get you some ice." I did as he instructed, and he left. He returned a moment later with a washcloth that held several ice cubes, and a dark blue bowl to set it in when it started to melt. He set the bowl on the bedside table and smiled at me, pressing the ice to my chest over a bruise. I hissed at the cold and he smiled apologetically, kissing my lips softly.

After a moment I sighed and relaxed, tugging at the buttons on his suit jacket. He wordlessly complied, helping to shrug out of it. His shirt hit the floor soon after, and shoes , socks, and slacks followed. I giggled a little at his underwear. Silk, of course –nothing but the best for this man –and red. The actual shade was quite close to the shade of my own hair. I caressed them for a moment before deciding that they, too, had to go. He stood before me, completely exposed, and I smiled up at him hungrily. "Now we're even." It wasn't fair that I'd been the only one naked!

He smirked back and slid onto the bed, his torso hovering over me. He took the ice cloth back and took out a cube, and started drawing circles on my bruises. I stiffened at the cold, my nipples becoming erect. Seeing their desperate need of attention, he slid the diminishing square over the one with the bite mark, teasing it. When he was done there was practically nothing left of the cube, and he slid the remaining chip into my mouth. Smiling at me, he took another cube from the bowl where they now rested, and slid it over my other nipple as he drew the one with the mark into his mouth, laving his hot tongue over my frozen flesh. I cried out in pleasure and gripped his hair, holding him to me. He chuckled at my response, and I felt the vibrations all the way to my toes. He released that nipple and moved onto the other one, providing the same torture to it as he slid the ice cube down my stomach, dipping it into my navel before going lower and parting my folds with it. I let out a high keening noise as he rubbed it against my nub, hips bucking upwards. He did it for a few more minutes until the ice was almost gone before sliding it into me. He pushed it deep with a finger. "Hold tight to that, kitten." His voice was husky, his brogue thicker with his arousal. It was nearly my undoing. Instead, I did as he instructed and clenched my inner muscles tightly to keep it from sliding out. He smiled at me, bending his head to suckle on my neck and leaving his own mark on my skin, claiming me as his.

I made a little noise of pleasure, arching into him, and he growled in response, gently taking my hips into his hands and guiding me to meet him. His hips were aligned with mine, his member resting against my entrance. He looked up into my eyes, making sure this was okay, and I wiggled my hips, trying to pull him closer. That was all the affirmative he needed as he slid home, going deep before stopping to cherish the moment. My eyes were closed, my arms tight around his back, pressing him to me as he started to move. The combination of hot and cold was a sensory overload and I climaxed quickly. He rode me through my orgasm and quickly brought me to two more before he stiffened above me, crying out my name.

I held him tightly, kissing his shoulder and neck as he slowly came down from his high. He fell to the side of me, not wanting to crush me, and pulled me tight against him, showering my face with kisses. I giggled as his stubble rubbed against my skin, and he smiled up at me, looking like that was the best noise he'd ever heard. He grabbed the blankets from the foot of the bed and pulled them up around us as the cold of the air started to settle into our heated skin. He tucked my head under his chin and held me close. I was mostly asleep when I heard him murmur into my hair, "I think I've fallen in love with you." I smiled sleepily. I knew I'd fallen in love with him.

XX

Gold isn't happy at all with August. Emma better get that man to the safety of a jail cell before Gold can pull himself away from Jenna long enough to commit the murder!

Next chapter: Jenna asks Gold what his first name is. Suggestions would be nice and will be taken into account.

Also, Emma begins her search for August, who seems to have disappeared.

I might add some Gold POV too.

As always, standard DC applies.


	8. Missing Persons

Gold POV

I was livid. Laying a hand on _my_ Jenna was completely unacceptable. August was just lucky that I was distracted, or he'd be nothing but a pile of gore by now. It was almost dawn, and Sheriff Swan hadn't come back yet. Odd, I could've sworn she'd said that she'd placed him under house arrest. She should have been back by now. I glanced at Jenna, who was sleeping peacefully, and then slid out of bed, pulling on my pants and shirt, forgoing the boxers. She'd seemed to really like them –I'd leave them for her. Then I tore a sheet out of the sticky note pad on the bedside table and scrawled a quick message, grabbed my shoes and padded out the door barefoot.

XX

Emma POV

I couldn't find him, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Gold got tired of waiting for me to bring in the goods, and went to get them himself. I knew that I'd locked August in his room at Granny's, but I wasn't sure how he could've gotten out. His room was on the third floor, climbing out the window wasn't much of an option. I groaned in frustration and headed back to his room, hoping that I could find some clues about where he'd been headed.

The window was open when I entered, and I looked around the rest of the room. It was completely devoid of personal artifacts, nothing to suggest that a man had been living here for the past few months. I crossed to the window and leaned my head out. There! There was a ledge just below the window, and it was just wide enough for a man to stand on if he pressed his back against the outer wall of the building. I rushed out of the room and into the room next to it to discover that the window in this room was also open. Score!

I bolted down the stairs and nearly ran into Ruby. "Have you seen August?" She gave me a concerned once over. "Yes, why? Oh no, you're not pregnant, are you?" I paused, looking at her oddly. "Why would I be pregnant?" Her cheeks reddened a little. "Sorry, I just thought –you know. That you two were together. Then you came in here freaking out to find him and I just…" I grabbed her shoulders. "Ruby. I'm not involved with Booth. You said you saw him. Did you see what direction he was headed?" Ruby closed her eyes and took a moment to search her memory. "Uh, West, I think. Towards the woods."

I was out of there like a lightning bolt, jackknifing into the cruiser and taking off down the street. Hopefully I could catch him before he got too far into the forest.

I rounded a bend in the road and saw the wishing well that he had once taken me to. His bike was on the ground a few feet from the road, but he was nowhere to be found. I got out of the car and walked to the motorcycle, examining the ground. There was a scuffle here, and if I looked closely I could see the mark of a cane in the mud. I followed the drag marks back to the road, but they ended at my car. I got in and backed the car up, then got back out. There was another set of tread marks just slightly to the left of mine. I followed them forward until I could get a clear image of them. They were pretty wide. I bent down and retrieved a pair of sunglasses from near the marks. I knew who these belonged to.

I pulled up in front of the cabin, next to a Ferrari Testerossa. Man, is this where Gold takes all of the people that he intends to murder? I rushed inside, gun cocked. I didn't care if Jenna loved this man, I'd give him another bum leg if he took a shot at me. I heard cracks, and yells, and the sound of someone crying. I let my eyes adjust to the dark interior, making my way towards them just in time to stop a blow to the head. He looked up at me, shocked that I'd found him so quickly. Or perhaps he was surprised because I'd grabbed his wrist. "I can only put one of you in cuffs, and I'm not putting the both of you in that jail cell. You are lucky that he's a flight risk. He takes priority." Gold smirked up at me. "Well, I'm sure you'll have me in there quickly enough." I hauled him to his feet.

XX

Jenna's POV

I reached my arm out to my side, expecting to be met with warm flesh. When my arm flopped onto the cold mattress, I sat upright and looked around the room. Most of his clothes were gone –although I noticed that he left me his boxers –and there was a pink sticky note on the pillow next to me.

_Had to run an errand. Be back soon. Hope you slept well._

_R. Gold_

An errand? I glanced at my clock. It was nearing five in the morning. Errand my ass! I jumped up, pulling on his boxers and a tank top, throwing his discarded jacket on top and rushing out the door. I had to get to him before he got to August.

XX

I'd heard about his little escapade in the cabin from Emma, so I knew where he was likely to have taken the man. I made a mental note to ask Gold for his side of that story as I sped down the darkened unpaved road. I pulled up in front of the cabin just in time to see Emma go in, gun out. I bit my lip and launched myself out of the car, feet killing me as I ran barefoot over the twigs and rocks that littered the drive. I'd forgotten to grab shoes in my haste. I entered the cabin just in time to hear Emma talking to Gold. "I can only put one of you in cuffs, and I'm not putting the both of you in that jail cell. You are lucky that he's a flight risk. He takes priority."

I saw his smirk and I stumbled forward on tired and sore feet. "Gold?" He turned to look at me, surprised that I'd be here. I tumbled into his arms, exhausted. "Please tell me you didn't kill him." I gazed up at him with probing eyes, and he looked away from me. I looked up at Emma and she gave me a reassuring smile. "He's not dead, just knocked out. Probably has some very bad bruises and a few fractured bones. You should be more worried about Gold. When he wakes up, I'm sure August will want to press charges." I looked back at Gold, worry creasing my brow. He smiled down at me, stroking my hair. "Don't worry, kitten. I'm sure everything will be fine. Why don't you come home with me tonight, hm?" I nodded, pressing my face into his chest. Then I picked my head back up and stared straight into his eyes. "Don't you _ever_ do something like this again, do you hear me? I will not have you hurting people on my account." He shook his head. "I will try, but if anybody hurts you, they'll deserve what they've got coming to them."

XX

We were in my room, grabbing me some clothes for the next day so I wouldn't have to travel around town in my night clothes. He seemed to notice then what I was wearing and smirked at me. "You went all the way to my cabin in nothing more than my boxers and a tank top?" I grabbed some panties from my drawer, contemplated for a moment, and then put them back. His grin grew. "I did, actually. I was in a hurry. Besides, they're comfy." He chuckled at that, and I turned at the sound, a smile growing on my own face. I caught sight of the sticky note he'd left me in my peripheral, and cocked my head to the side, studying him. "What?"

I bit my lip. I didn't want to pry, but… we were dating, weren't we? I did have a right to know. "What's your first name?" I immediately regretted asking. He stiffened and seemed to draw himself away from me. "You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy, I just thought that since we are dating and everything…" I trailed off, because he was looking at me confusedly. "I don't have any problem telling you. I'm sorry, I was just surprised. Nobody ever asks me that." I grinned up at him and he smiled back. "It's Rodric. It's Scottish for 'famous ruler'." I giggled, and my hand flew to my mouth. His lips turned downwards, and his expression was one of hurt. "Oh no! Honey, I wasn't laughing at your name! I was laughing because it suits you. Famous Ruler indeed." He smiled then, relieved that I didn't think it was ridiculous, and pulled me into his arms. "You are the first person who hasn't laughed because it's a funny name." I smiled up at him, stepping on tiptoe to press kisses to his face. "I don't see why. It's a wonderful name."

XXX

This was a fun chapter to write. I hope his name is appropriate. I also hope that it wasn't hard to follow. I was worried that I wasn't being descriptive enough. I know I hate stories like that; I would hate to be the creator of one!

Next chapter: Jenna has a run –in with Regina.

She also goes on a business trip with Gold.

She gets a call from work saying that she is needed as soon as possible, and Gold insists on accompanying her to Boston.


	9. Home Again

I rolled over in bed and stared at the face of my sleeping lover. My fingers gently explored his lips, his nose and cheek bones. How could I be this in love with a man I'd met only two weeks ago? I'd never believed in love at first sight, and I was very skeptical about true love. Maybe it was time for me to start believing. He stirred a little and his lips turned up into a smile even before he opened his eyes. When he did, I stared into them, loving the way they reminded me of chocolate and kisses. Speaking of kisses…

I smiled as he pulled himself away from my lips. "I've got to go on my business meeting today, dearie. Would you care to come?" My eyes lit up. A road trip with just him? "Of course I'd like to come silly! When do we leave?" He grinned at me, a hand sliding down my body and gently rubbing against my hip bone. "As soon as we are ready. It may be a while though."

I opened my mouth to ask him why he thought so, but the only thing that passed my lips was a little whimper as his fingers deftly stroked my sex. Unable to help myself, I arched into his hand and he smiled against my shoulder. He slid one long finger inside of me and was delighted to find me ready for him, and then added another. He stroked me and curled his fingers, hitting that special spot. I nearly orgasmed on his fingers, but he withdrew them a moment too soon.

I made a cry of dissatisfaction that was quickly turned into a scream of approval as he rammed into me. I hooked my legs around his waist pressing my feet to his tailbone and pulling him in deeper. "Oh gods, Rodric!" That breathy exclamation was all it took to snap his control and leave him pounding into me, gripping my hips and sucking at my neck. I dug my fingernails into his shoulders, and when he jerked in at a new angle my nails scored down his back. He growled in pleasure, biting at my breasts in retribution. I could feel my climax building again but I wanted to stave it off, wanted to enjoy this for a little longer. He seemed to sense my intent because he slowed with his thrusts, taking time to lavish my breasts with affection, fingers stroking my left nipple as his lips and teeth gently tugged on the other one. His slow pace gave me a little time to catch my breath, even as I whimpered his name. His fingers slipped between us and gently rubbed and flicked at my core. I shattered around him, arching into him and crying out his name. He started to pump roughly into me then, as if I'd broken any type of control he'd regained, and I sunk my teeth into his neck as another orgasm ripped through me. He stiffened then, biting hard down onto my own flesh as he shuddered and spurted into my welcoming body.

He tried to roll over so that he wouldn't collapse on me, but I locked my legs around him tightly, forcing him to lay on me. I tucked his damp hair back out of his face and smiled at him. "That was amazing, Rodric." He kissed me like a dying man, holding me tightly as his tongue swirled desperately with mine. "I love it when you say my name, kitten." I smiled up at him and we both lay there, catching our breath. After a moment I grinned at him. "Wanna grab a shower and then hit the road? It's only ten." He glanced at the clock and smiled back at me. "If we move quickly we should be out of here by noon."

We didn't end up leaving until almost two.

XX

As we headed out the door we were accosted by Regina. "I see you two are leaving. Going back home, Miss Swan?" I gave her a large smile that was perhaps a bit mocking. "I'm going on a trip with Gold, Madame Mayor. We thought it would be romantic." She opened her mouth to say something, and then seemed to think better of it. Gold gave her a little smirk. "We are running late, so if you'd just excuse us, we'll be on our way." She started to say something but he grinned at her. "Please." Her mouth snapped shut angrily, and she turned to go. We got in the car and I frowned at him. "Somebody needs to get laid." He laughed as he pulled away from the house and merged into the street. I was pulling out my phone to call Emma and let her know we were headed out. "She and I have a longstanding feud. And she hates it when I say please to her." I frowned, listening to the phone ringing. "Why is that?" I heard the sound of Emma picking up a moment before she said hello. "She has to do whatever it is I ask of her."

XX

Our drive had been long and tiring, but we were currently checking into a fancy hotel. I couldn't wait to get to our room so I could jump into the bathtub and take a long bubble bath. I looked at our luggage uncertainly, not knowing if I could carry my bag. Gold smiled at me. "Don't worry dearie. They'll have someone bring our bags up. Shall we?" He'd offered his arm, and I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow as he led me towards the elevator. "Room 313. That's the third floor. Would you do the honors?" I grinned up at him and pressed the elevator button for the designated area. He chuckled at my childish behavior.

We entered the room and my breath left me. He stood next to me, watching with a smile. "Oh my. This room is bigger than my entire apartment!" He let me marvel a few moments longer, and then pulled me into his arms. I tore my gaze away from the suite and looked up into his face. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that." My brow furrowed in confusion. "I'd like you to move in with me. I don't like you being so far away. I worry about you." My face smoothed and I trailed my fingertips over his jaw. "I'd love to. It's just… I just met you two weeks ago. I feel like I've known you forever, but I realize that I haven't. I don't know as much about you as I'd like. Are we moving too fast?" He cupped my face in his hands, searching my eyes. He must've liked what he found, because he smiled. "If you want to get to know me better, we have all night. I don't need an answer right away. I know these things take time. I'd like to learn about you too, you know." I smiled and threw my arms around his neck, kissing all over his face before finally finding his lips. He smiled and pulled back after a few minutes. "Now, go and get the bath started, and give Emma a call. I've got to make a quick call myself, and then we can turn off our phones and it will be just us." I bit my lip in amusement as he was talking. How did he know I wanted a bath?

XX

The next day we awoke to his alarm going off at nine. I groaned and sat up, reaching over him to turn it off. He was watching me with delight. "My meeting isn't until eleven." He murmured softly. I flopped down next to him with an unhappy frown. "Then why did you set your alarm for nine?" He rolled over so he was on top of me, holding my hands over my head. "I wanted to have time for _this_."

XX

Gold was at his meeting until further notice. He said that the longest he'd ever been in one had been five hours and forty minutes, and he'd been dealing with unruly clients. He'd promised to try and be back in time to take me to dinner. I sat lazily on the bed, doodling in my sketchbook and thinking about what we'd discussed last night.

"_I'm not the angel you think I am."_

His words reverberated through my head and I sighed. He told me how he came into his money –by making deals with desperate souls. Deals that they ultimately regretted and he benefitted from. Deals that, when the time came, they never wanted to pay the price for. My fingers had carded through his hair as I murmured soothingly into his skin _–"You are not a monster, and you are not in the wrong. They know the terms of the deal, do they not?"_ He'd nodded. _"Then it is their fault, not yours. If you make the price perfectly clear and they agree to it, you cannot be held responsible!" _ I remembered how he kissed me –like he was drowning and I was a lifeboat, like he'd never expected to hear those words.

He told me how he'd been married once, before he was crippled, and his wife had loathed him. She'd left him with their newborn son and run away with the blacksmith's boy. _"What happened to your son?"_ There was something in the way he talked about him. Surely he wasn't any older than I was. His father was only perhaps ten or fifteen years older than me_. "I lost him."_ That was the most he was willing to say on the subject. I wasn't going to push him.

My phone went off and snapped me out of my musings. It was my business partner Allan. "Allan, what's up?" He usually didn't call unless it was necessary, especially when I was on vacation. "Jenna, oh thank GOD you picked up. I tried several times last night and it went straight to voicemail. Something's come up –I need you down here right away." I sat up in alarm. He sounded frazzled, and that was saying something. My gay partner was too concerned with his appearance to be stressed most days. "What's happened?" I could almost see him –scarf hanging loosely around his neck, hair mussed and without make-up. "Kim Snam called wondering where you were, said she wanted to host a cocktail party to celebrate her business investment. Then George Smith called needing help to plan an engagement party, and a fellow by the name of Sam Brite wanted us to make arrangements for his daughter's sweet sixteen."

I chewed my lip thoughtfully. That wasn't so bad, I couldn't see what he was worried about. He must've sensed my confusion. "I don't think you understand how bad this is, Jenna. All of these parties are this weekend! That's not nearly enough time! Decorations need to be up, caterers need to be called, invitations need to be sent out –" I glanced at my watch. It was Tuesday. "Alright, here's what I need you to do." The door opened and I looked up to see Gold come in looking haggard. He brightened up when he saw me and I gave him a smile, holding up a finger to let him know I was on the phone. "Contact the clients. Find out what they want to eat, and then contact the caterers. We work with more than one catering company, so we shouldn't run into problems with them overlapping each other. Next, I need you to get a guest list and start on invitations. I'll be there as soon as I can, but it may take a while." There was silence on the other end and I could picture him writing down my instructions. "Anything else?" I ran my fingers through my hair, thinking. "No, I think that will keep you busy until I manage to get back there. And Allan?" He was silent, waiting for my next command. "Don't stress so hard. We can do it. Go brush your hair and put on some cover up and lip gloss before you run out to see our clients. Don't want to scare them off, do we?" He laughed then, and I was pleased to see he'd relaxed. You can't plan a party if you are uptight.

I ended the call and put my phone on the bedside table, smiling up at Gold. "How was work?" He made a face and collapsed on the bed next to me with a groan. "Terrible. Bloody bastards were trying to knock down what they owe me by almost a million." I shook my head. "Idiots. Did you put them in their place?" He grinned up at me, that triumphant, self-satisfied smirk that made me want to jump him. "We've got to meet again tomorrow, but I think this time they will be more cooperative. What about you? Was that work on the line?"

I pulled his head into my lap, stroking his hair. "Yea. My business partner Allan was freaking out. I guess we've got a tall order for this weekend. I hate to say it, but I've got to go back to Boston to handle this. It's too late tonight, but I've got to first thing tomorrow morning." He turned his head to bury his face into my stomach and mumbled something into my t-shirt. I smiled at how adorable it was. "What was that baby?" He pulled his face away a little and I could see a light flush to his skin. "I said –I don't want you to go." I must've made a noise because he looked up at me, confused and sad. "Oh, baby. I won't be gone long. Hey, maybe you could follow me once you are done here!" His eyes lit up. "I'd love to. I just don't like being away from you. I mean, living on opposite sides of town is bad enough, but now you'll be hours away from me." I smiled and kissed his temple. "I'll be safe, I promise. I'll have Allan pick me up at the airport and I'll call when I'm in his car, kay?" He sighed, laying his head back into my lap and nodding.

XXX

Hey. Sorry this took so long to update. I just could not get it to work properly. Usually it simply…Writes itself! I've worked on it a little every day, and now your chapter is done! What'd you think?

So, next chapter, Jenna meets up with Allan and they get crackin' on the parties.

ALLLSOOOOOOOO….. Gold follows her over after a few days of excruciating meetings.


	10. Steamy Encounters

I blew my hair out of my face –It kept falling in my line of vision because I was leaning over my desk –and made a noise of frustration. One of our clients kept changing her mind. It wouldn't be such a problem if she didn't insist on having everything perfect for Saturday, which was tomorrow. All of the other parties had been planned out and set up for –in fact, one of them was tonight at seven. I tweaked a few more details to make them fit the requirements as Allan came out of the bathroom. "What time is it?" I saw him glance at his watch out of the corner of my eye. "Uh, six thirty." I cursed, throwing my pencil onto the cherry wood finish. "This is stupid! How does she expect us to make so many last minute changes?" He came forward and pulled me into a hug. I smiled at the smell of his perfume. Jasmine, with a hint of strawberries. "Just relax. How about I stay here and finish this, and you go supervise the party?" I nodded, and then caught sight of myself in the mirror we kept in our office. "Uh, no. There is no way I can fix this –" I motioned to myself –"In fifteen minutes. You go, I'll take care of this."

He'd been gone for perhaps an hour before I decided that if I didn't take a break, I'd destroy something valuable. I wandered over to the mini fridge we kept in the office for precisely such an occasion and grabbed a fudge pop from the freezer. I slid it between my lips and started to eagerly lick at it, sitting down in my office chair and spinning around.

On my second turn towards the office door, I caught sight of a figure standing in the door way, but I was moving too quickly to recognize the person. I grabbed my desk and stopped the chair, hopping up. I swayed for a moment as my brain registered that I was dizzy, but caught myself on the desk, accidentally dropping my fudge pop into the garbage. "This is your idea of working?" I gasped as I recognized the voice and mortification filled me. "Rodric! No, you can't be here right now." He limped into the room, his eyes narrowed on me. I saw confusion and hurt in their depths. "Why not?" I covered my face with my hands so he couldn't see my smudged make up, and then remembered my tangled hair and rumpled clothing. "I'm a mess! You can't see me this unattractive! My make up is three days old, my hair is not brushed… I'm still wearing the clothes I left you in!" He smiled at me, and pulled my fingers away from my face. I looked up hesitantly into amused eyes. The backs of his fingers brushed against my temple. "Jen, I've seen you with bed head. I promise, if I'm not scarred after that, I'll be fine." I gave him an affronted look. "My bed head is not that bad!" He chuckled and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. I sighed and melted against him, allowing him access.

"Hey Jen, the party's in full swing and –whoa! I thought you said you were staying here to work!" Gold pulled away from me. I missed his warmth immediately. He extended a hand to my partner, keeping a neutrally pleasant expression. "Hello. I assume you are Allan. Jenna's told me much about you." I saw Allan gulp and smirked to myself as he extended his hand to shake Gold's. "She has? She's told me nothing about you." I bit my lip when they both turned to me. "We've been busy. I've barely had time to pee, let alone gossip about my love life."

They talked for a few minutes, and I could tell that Gold was warming up to him. I went back to work on the party details. I was so close to being finished that it was frustrating –and apparently Allan noticed. "Hey Jen, why don't you go get ready for the party and let me finish this up? The party's only got about two hours left, and then we can hit the hay." I chewed on my lip. There weren't many details left –perhaps half an hour of work time. "Alright," I consented. "Just be sure to go home when you get done here, you deserve some rest."

I went into the bathroom, and Gold smirked and followed me. "What are you doing?" I asked with a laugh as he shut the door behind us and pulled me into his arms, nuzzling my neck. "Isn't it obvious, dearie? I'm taking a shower." He dropped his jacket to the floor and started to unbutton his shirt. "If you want to be ready in time for that party, I suggest we take one together." I gaped at him as his tie hit the floor with the rest of his clothes. "Are you kidding me? We'd save time by taking separate showers!" Even as I said this I was removing my clothing. He smirked at me, now fully nude except for those lovely silk boxers of his. These ones were the same shade of green as my eyes. I smirked at him as the last of my clothing pooled around my ankles and his eyes drank me in like a starving man. "Don't worry, dearie. I promise –I'm good at making it quick."

While I was finishing divesting myself of fabric, he'd turned on the shower and stepped in. I followed eagerly, and as soon as the glass door had slid shut he had me pressed against it, devouring my lips. I pulled back after a few minutes with a gasp and he took the advantage to sink his teeth into my neck. I did my best to muffle my cry against my hand –a cause that proved futile when he began caressing my sex, lovingly toying with my sensitive bud. He grinned at my helpless whimpers and sat down on the shower floor, leaning against the wall and beckoning me forwards. I eagerly dropped to my knees and sat on his lap, letting myself slide slowly down his shaft until he was fully enclosed.

We were both panting and I reached my fingers to the shelf that was slightly above our heads, grabbing the sponge and the body wash. He raised an eyebrow as I poured some of the fragrant soap onto it and worked it into a lather. Whatever he was going to say died on his tongue as I slid my body up to wash his shoulders and upper back. When I slid back down and re-impaled myself he let his breath out in a soft hiss. I washed his lower back and his arms, then his chest and stomach. Without moving off of him, I turned around to wash his legs, and he couldn't help the jerk his hips gave at the sight of me bent so deliciously over to reach his feet. I gasped, loosing focus on what I was supposed to be doing momentarily, letting myself grind down on him. I turned back around and pulled him in for a hungry kiss, letting my hips buck against him, forgetting about washing. When he grabbed my hips and started to pound roughly, I knew I was lost. There was no way I was going to be keeping my cries from leaving the bathroom. The scream that escaped me with my orgasm felt so loud that I was surprised the shower door didn't shatter. He was gasping and growling, and he pulled me closer to bite once again into my skin as his own orgasm overcame him. We lay panting and weak against each other afterwards and he chuckled, stroking my back. "It's been far too long since I've had you, dearie."

XX

Poor Allan! He was right in the next room! He's gona be scarred for life. So, anybody else notice how he's apparently attracted to Mr. Gold? I bet that if Jenna didn't already have dibs, he'd be trying to tap that. Of course, Gold would have to be gay to allow that, so…. Leave a review! You know, a writer's best friend!

Uh, not mine, sadly.

Oh, next chapter is pretty much touch and go, but I know that they are going to be at the party for a bit.


	11. Party Complications

We'd been at the party for no longer than perhaps half an hour, and already I was itching to get home and jump Gold's bones. I watched him as he strode through the crowd and to the punch bowl, getting us some drinks. '_Mm…'_ he certainly had an impressive backside. I was nibbling on my lip when somebody tapped my shoulder. "Excuse me, ma'am." I turned, thinking that it might be someone wanting to contract his own party with my company. "Yes?" He gave me a cocksure smile, and I stiffened. Not interested in party planning, then. I took a step back and he took two forward.

"What are you doing hanging on the arm of men his age?" He cast a glance towards Gold, who had yet to notice anything amiss. "Surely you could do better. What do you say –you come back to my place tonight instead of going home with that dust bag?"

My eyes flashed. "Sorry, can't. I would choose a dust bag over a douche bag every time. Now, if you'll excuse me –"I went to walk past him, but he caught me around the waist and hauled me against his body. "Not so fast, sweet cheeks! The party's just getting started!"

"I'm sorry sir, you must have misunderstood. The lady said she's not interested." The man turned to face the smaller man, a look of amusement on his face. I'd never been so relieved to see Gold than I was in that moment. "Oh yea? And who's to make me leave the lady alone? Surely not you." He was laughing, so he missed Gold raising his cane. Luckily, the man holding me was much taller, so Gold's cane came nowhere near my head on its way to make contact with my attacker's face.

I was dropped unceremoniously as the man staggered backwards, holding a bloody nose. "Ouch! Bastard broke my nose!" I scrambled away from the man, throwing myself into Gold's arms. He caught me, one arm going around my waist, his thumb stroking my hip soothingly. His other arm held the cane aloft in a defensive position. People around us were staring and murmuring. "You should probably go get that taken care of before it sets and they have to re-break it to set it properly." The man seemed horrified by the idea and dashed inside the house.

Once he was safely away, Gold turned his attention to me. Once he saw that I was shaken but unharmed, he checked his watch. "The party only has about twenty minutes left. What do you say we head home?" I nodded weakly, and allowed him to lead me from the party and into his car.

Once we reached my apartment, I let him unlock the door and followed after him. Immediately I kicked off my heels, sighing in bliss when they were gone. I felt much safer now that I was in my familiar home. He gave me a concerned once over, and headed for the kitchen. I heard him shuffling around in the cupboards and wandered over to find him looking peevish. "What's wrong?" He barely spared me a glance before going back to his search. "I can't find any wine. Surely you have some?" I smiled and walked over to a cupboard above the stove, pulling out a bottle of red wine. Then I grabbed two wine glasses and shimmied up to him. "What did you have in mind for these?"

Guess we'll haveta wait for the next chapter to find out what Gold has in mind for the wine, huh?

Sorry this took so long, I just couldn't seem to find my muse. Anyway, now this chapter's done, and I will be working on another soon! Hope you enjoy'd!

By the way, you have _Bohemian Rhapsody_ to thank for this. Couldn't get the damn song out of my head, and it somehow started my creative juices.

Next chapter will experience some fluff and smut, so you have been warned.


	12. Emma's Worry

Gold's POV

I watched her sink down into the hot water with a little moan. Dragging my eyes away from her was nearly impossible, but I managed; I had a drink to pour us. She turned her emerald eyes up to me, her lips curling into a smile. "Won't you join me?" What man alive could resist a plea spoken with that voice? I slid in behind her, curling my arms around her waist and pulling her flush against me. She sighed and leaned her head back on my shoulder. "Can't we be like this always, Rodric?" My fingers smoothed over satiny skin, caressing; and I held a cup up to her lips. She took a sip of the sweet drink, sighing appreciatively. "Let's just focus on tonight, sweetheart. We will deal with tomorrow when it comes."

My fingers began to rub in little circles on her shoulders, easing the tense muscles. It didn't take long for her to turn her body to the side and curl up into me. I stroked her damp hair. I didn't want to wake her, but I couldn't carry her to bed with my knee. She sat up sleepily when I shook her, and I ushered her out of the water and wrapped her in a towel. She wandered out of the bathroom while I got out and grabbed my own towel, draining the bathwater as I did so.

When I entered the bedroom I saw that she had already turned down the covers for me, and was curled in a shivering ball on her side of the bed, lying above the covers. I shook my head bemusedly, going to her and tugging the blankets over her. Then I slipped in on my side, and pulled her to me. She stopped shivering after a moment, falling easily into a deeper sleep. I took my time to fall asleep; choosing instead to stare at a woman that I'd never thought I'd have. She was so beautiful, so pure and perfect. Perhaps there was more to my creating the curse than my urge to find Bae. Perhaps fate wanted me to come here. All I knew was that I'd do anything for her, to make her happy.

Jenna's POV

I woke up to feather light kisses trailing down my abdomen. The sunlight pierced my eyes and I turned my face away from the window, instead letting them rest on Gold, who was happily making his way lower. He didn't seem to be aware that I was no longer sleeping. My fingers slid into his hair and I sighed as his tongue swirled around my navel. With the first touch of his tongue to my most sensitive area, I nearly came off the bed. His hands immediately pressed down onto my hips, holding me in place. I squirmed and gasped as he gently nipped at my bud. Once he was sure that I was awake and more than ready for him, he crawled up the bed, kissing me deeply as he thrust inside in one smooth stroke. His kisses traveled lower as he maintained his pace; hot, open-mouthed kisses that left me breathless. It didn't take us long to reach the precipice, and we hung there for several long, glorious moments before tumbling down the cliff.

Even after our heartbeats had calmed down, I clung to him. He stroked my hair, almost lulling me back to sleep. I was jerked out of my doze by my cell going off. Blearily I scrambled for it, flipping it open without checking the caller I.D.

"Yes?"

"Oh my god, Jenna, I'm freaking out!" A jolt of panic shot through me. "Emma? What's wrong? Is Henry okay?" It took her a moment to respond and I felt that the worst had happened. "Henry's fine, Jenna. It's me that I'm worried about. I just realized –" She broke of, sounding choked, as if putting her realization into words was painful.

"Yes, Emma?" My tone was soothing now, now that I realized it was a personal crisis. She cleared her throat. "I just realized… Jenna, I've got the hots for Regina!" I didn't answer her for a few minutes. Had I heard her right? She made a sound of annoyance and I snapped back to attention. Gold was watching me with concern on his features. I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Regina, Emma? Are you sure?" She groaned. "Positive. Oh Jenna, why does it have to be her? She hates me!" I chewed on my lip and Gold started kissing my shoulder. "Emma, I don't…" Gold had started nibbling on my neck. God it was distracting. "I don't think that it's hopeless. I've seen the way she looks at you when she thinks that nobody else is looking. And…" I had to fight back a moan. "I've seen the sexual tension between the two of you. She's got the hots for you too." She was silent for a moment. Then, "Jenna, I don't know what to do. Neither of us like to be dominated. How can we have a relationship like that?" Gold's fingers had wandered –one hand playing with my left breast, the other stroking against my folds. I pinched my eyes shut to concentrate. "You can't, Emma. The only relationship that is like that is based on love, not sex. You will have to figure out a way to make her enjoy being submissive. Either, that, or you'll have to learn yourself. I –" I broke off, a gasp escaping my lips as Gold applied a little more pressure. "Jenna? You alright?" Gold grinned up at me cheekily. I attempted a scowl but gave up then he pressed again. _Oh god, yes, right_ there! "Uh, I'm fine, Emma. Just… Uh, leave her a rose. A new one every day –right on her doorstep, or on her office desk. Get creative with where you put them. Uh, I've gotta go, Em. I should be back soon though."

"Well… I'll try it. Thank you for the advice." She clicked off after her dubious farewell.

The phone fell from my grasp and I turned around, planting my hands on Gold's shoulders and pushing him down, climbing on top of him.

"You naughty man! You knew I was on the phone!" He smirked at me, fingers sliding into my short hair and tugging. I bent my head willingly, eagerly accepting his kisses –ire forgotten. I slowly impaled myself on his erect member, letting out a soft sigh as I did so. His arms came around me and held me close against him, pressing kisses to my face and neck. We kept a slow pace, reveling in the feeling of being so close, so in love. My fingers gripped his shoulders for support as my orgasm overcame me. He followed me by seconds.

We lay together for a long while afterwards, his arms protecting me, comforting me. I tilted my head up and smiled sleepily at him. "We've got to go soon, don't we? Back home, I mean." He nodded and pressed a kiss to my hair. "Tomorrow we'll have to drive back." I blinked up at him. "You drove here?" He shrugged. "It was faster than getting a plane."

Hey Guys! Sorry its been so long. School started again and it's been difficult finding energy to write. I hope you like this chapter. Drop a review :D

Next chapter we see some movement on the SwanQueen front. Our protagonists will be back in Storybrook, and the story shall continue!


	13. The First Memory

Henry was the first to greet us when we arrived in town. He threw himself into my arms almost as soon as I'd stepped out of the car. I laughed and hugged him close, missing him as much as I'd missed Emma. Gold came to my side, and Henry detached himself from me and hugged Gold around the middle. I watched as he stiffened and swallowed hard before patting Henry on the back a little awkwardly. If the boy was put out he didn't show it –instead sending a toothy smile to the adult. The man managed a weak little smile back. I watched as Emma's sharp eyes caught the uncharacteristic behavior, and I knew I should distract her from her observation. "Em, I'm so happy to see you!" She grinned and pulled me into a hug, riveting her eyes on me. "How are you Jen? You look exhausted." I grinned a little back and explained about the unexpected call I got from work. "Gosh that sucks. I'll leave the two of you to get some sleep. I expect you to be well rested for our girl's night sometime this weekend."

I waved until they turned the corner and then I turned my attention to my lover. "He's the same age Bae was, isn't he?" Gold's eyes slid to me from where they'd been staring after the car. "Bae was a few years older." I nodded and took his hand, leading him inside. "What about our suitcases?" He half-heartedly objected. I scoffed. "Please, like someone's gunna steal them." His lips quirked up and I smiled in triumph and helped him upstairs. We had to take a few breaks to rest his leg. "Damn, Gold. Why did you pick a room on the upper floor with your leg being like that?" He shot me a glare and I regretted my choice of words. "I had perfect legs when I chose this room, and I refused to give up a room I liked just so I wouldn't have to go upstairs. I realize I'm an old cripple, but please do refrain from insulting me in my own house."

We'd reached his bed and I let him undress and climb in without my assistance. I sighed and shrugged out of my tee and jeans and followed him onto the bed. He refused to look at me and I sighed again, putting my head next to his and my arm around him. I rubbed soothing circles onto his chest. "I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean it like that. You know that I have nothing but the greatest respect for you. I don't think that you are old, and you are definitely not a cripple. Your leg does not hinder you in anything you do, and you are very strong and fit. It just hurts me to see you in pain, that's all." He sighed and turned to me, pulling me against his chest. No words were spoken after that –none needed to be. I fell asleep with my head tucked under his chin.

_I was in a cave. It was cold but brightly lit with multiple torches lining the walls. There was a cell at the end, but that part of the cave was in shadows. I could hear grunts of pain and a man yelling obscenities. I found myself walking forward and using the torch in my hand to light the torches around the cell so that I could see into it. One of the guards was kicking at a pile of cloth. When the pile issued a grunt I realized that it was a person and I felt revulsion swell in my heart. "Stop this at once!" My voice sounded stronger, more confident than I'd ever heard it before. The man looked up at me, and his eyes fell upon my royal garments. "Princess! I was unaware that you would be making a visit –I would have readied the place for you."_

_I stepped aside as he came to the bars of the cage and they widened to allow him through. "That is unnecessary. I want you to leave, and when you come back I expect you to come with a bowl of warm water and several rags. We do not treat prisoners this way. I do not care that it is Rumplestiltskin." He bowed and retreated but I could see how angry I'd made him. I bit my lip in trepidation as I looked at the bars, and then stepped through. He couldn't hurt me –he wouldn't have allowed that man to beat him if he'd any magic left. I bent down next to him and rolled him onto his back. He'd fallen unconscious, and I took a moment to take in his features. I'd never been this close to the Dark One before. His skin shimmered a golden gray in the torch light and I wondered how he would look in the sunshine, healthy and free. He was far too thin, and I knew that the guards had purposely been starving him. His body was lithe and his shoulders wide –narrower than my fathers, but definitely masculine. He had long legs and, when I picked up his hand, I found that he also had long fingers. Quite suddenly they saying about men with long fingers that the scullery maids had taught me came to mind. My cheeks reddened and I put his hand down. "I am back." My head shot up and I saw the guard I'd sent away, holding a bowl and some rags. I took them from him and started to remove Rumplestiltskin's clothing. "My lady! That is highly improper." My eyes narrowed at the man. "I would be unnecessary if you had not been mistreating the prisoner." _

_He fell silent and I continued to struggle with removing the man's coat. Damn, I'd never realized how difficult dragon skin could be. Once it was off I made short work of his vest and shirt, my fingers pausing when they came to his breeches. Biting my lip I deftly undid the ties, and did my best to pull them down, avoiding as much as possible looking at… that. His breeches were made of leather also, but luckily these seemed to be cattle hide, which was much easier to deal with. I tried to steady my trembling hands as I unlaced his boots and set all of his clothes to the side in a neat pile. _

_They still shook as I picked up a rag and dipped it in the water, wrung it out, and wiped his face gently. I grimaced at the dirt and dried blood on the rag before rinsing it and getting to work on the rest of his body. By the time I'd reached his waist the bowl of water was useless, cold and too dirty to work with anymore. I handed the guard the bowl. "Rinse it out and get me fresh water. Hot, please." He bowed and left. Rumplestiltskin was shivering, so I took off my cloak and laid it over him. It was red, like my hair, and it was my warmest. I watched as he slowly stopped shivering. The guard came back with the bowl and I took it from him gratefully. I finished cleaning the imp's legs and noticed with not a little fascination that his right leg was covered in scars. They looked beyond painful, and I wondered how he'd obtained them. After a moment I covered up his legs to keep him warm and wiped at his face again. His eyes opened and my heart stopped._

I sat up with a sharp gasp, my hand going to my throat. The lamp clicked on and a soothing hand rubbed circles onto my back. "Dearie?" I stared forward, trying to dislodge the dream that had felt more like a memory. Arms wrapped around me and pulled me back into a warm chest. "Shh, dearie. It was just a dream. I'm here for you." He soothed me back down to the bed and held me close. "It's okay dearie. I've got you. Everything's alright." I just clung to him.

Next, Jenna talks to Gold about her dream, and we see some movement on the SwanQueen front when Jenna stays the night at Emma's place.


	14. The Perfect Present

I stared into my coffee cup, swirling its contents. I was haunted by my dream, by that man whose eyes brought to mind another pair of eyes –eyes that were observing me now with concern. "Are you quite alright, dear?" I looked up to find Gold standing on the other side of the kitchen table. I didn't know how to answer him, and he must have sensed my confusion and helplessness, because he sat next to me and took my hands in his. "Do you want to talk about it?" I found that I did. He listened quietly to my tale, his eyes widening and his grip on my fingers tightening. He hung on my every word, and when I was finished he stared at me. "What do you think it means?" I asked timidly. I'd never seen him act like this and it was scaring me. He looked into my eyes and suddenly I was a little calmer than before. "I think that it is your body's way of dealing with the stress you have been under for the past few days. I also think that it would make a wonderful story. Have you ever considered becoming and author?" I smiled at him, beyond grateful for his unexpected humor and his warm and reassuring words. "I'd thought of it, but it's not a plausible means of income." He smiled back at me. "Darling, you don't need a means of income. I'll take care of you."

Gold's POV

She looked dubious at my declaration. I knew that she didn't want me to think she was merely with me for my money. I sighed and leaned forward to press a kiss to her temple. "Just think about it." She nodded and I stood up, sliding my suit jacket on. I bent down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips and smiled inwardly when she relaxed and leaned into me.

I pulled back after a moment. "I've got to go darling –I have many things that need to be taken care of. Would you like to eat supper together, or were you planning on going to Emma's?" She looked up at me and nibbled on her lip. I watched in fascination, restraining the urge to replace her teeth with mine. "Um, I'd like to eat with you, if that's alright?" I smiled reassuringly, unsure of where her meekness was coming from. It didn't suit her. "That would be perfect. I'll grab you from your place at seven." She nodded and I stooped for one more kiss before heading out the door and to City Hall. I had an Evil Queen to speak to.

XX

"Ah, Rumple, what a pleasant surprise." The look in her eyes said otherwise –they glittered with ire. "Well your Majesty, I wouldn't be happy to see me if I were you. You know that when I seek you out, it's because you have been a naughty girl." Her lips turned up into a wicked smile. "Why Rumple, I'm shocked! I never pegged you for the cheating type. Of course, if that harlot refuses to let you get rough, and you're in the mood to give a spanking –" She was against the wall before she could finish her sentence. "I heard an interesting tidbit just this morning." I allowed my voice to slip up to Rumplestiltskin's voice, a few octaves higher than Gold's.

She started trembling at that voice and clawed at the hand around her throat. "It would seem that Jenna had a dream last night." I paused to lean a little closer, watching her expression. "A dream about me, before the curse. Now, why would she have a dream like that? Any ideas?" Regina was quaking. "P-perhaps she has been listening to Henry. You k-know how he can be-" I pressed my hand into her throat, cutting her air supply. She fell silent and my smile became feral. "I think that you somehow wove a bit of your own magic into _my _curse to make me forget about my true love. Then, you found a way to make her an infant and gave her to the first couple you found. Sound about right?" She was gasping, and I loosened my grip enough to give her some air. After a minute of not answering me I grew impatient. "Well?" She flinched from my roar. "Y-yes, yes! That's it, that's what happened!" I saw in her eyes that she feared for her life and I smirked. "Oh don't worry dearie, I won't kill you." She blinked at me, disbelieving. "I'm going to save that honor for Emma." I threw her to the floor and to walked out of her office without a backwards glance.

XX

Jenna's POV

I had all but forgotten about my dream by suppertime. Gold took me to Granny's for dinner –not exactly fancy, but I had asked for some place cozy and relaxed. After dinner he dropped me off at Emma's. We'd scheduled our girl's night for tonight.

She hugged me when I walked in. "Mary's on her way home with some goodies for our movie. You don't mind her joining, do you?" I grinned and shook my head. I'd grown quite fond of the school teacher. "What are we watching?" I followed her into her room where she threw me a tank top and a pair of shorts. "James Bond. Tomorrow's Saturday, so Mare can stay up late –which meaaaans, that we are watching a marathon." I laughed and changed out of my jeans and tee into her comfy night clothes.

"I'm home!" We heard the door shut and Mary-Margaret came into the room. She grinned at us. "Jenna! How are you liking living with Gold? As you can see, Emma didn't waste any time moving back to her old room." I smiled. "I actually am having a wonderful time in Gold's house. My god, it's so big and beautiful." Mary smirked a little. "We are talking about his house, right?"

My cheeks turned red, and Emma saved me by grabbing the bag Mary was still holding. "What'd you get?" I sighed in relief as she dug through the contents of the bag. "Uh… peanut M&M's, Reese's, and Chex Mix. I also picked up some soda, and…" She dug around in the other bag she was carrying and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. Emma cheered and I smirked and took the bottle from Emma, who'd opened it and had already taken a swig. "Save it for later!"

Later came fairly quickly, and before we knew it we were down half a bottle of alcohol and mostly out of candy. Our movie ended –the third James Bond we'd watched that night, and I sent Emma to bed before waking up a very drunk Mary-Margaret and helping her into her bedroom. I smiled at her as I tucked her in. "Night Mary-Margaret." She mumbled something incoherent back and I grinned and left the room, heading across the hall to Emma's room.

She was surprisingly still awake, lying on her bed with just the lamp on. I climbed into bed next to her and she turned off the light. It was silent for some moments before Emma startled me out of my doze. "What should I do?" I turned to look at her, although I could barely make out her features in the dark. "About what?" I didn't receive an answer for a few minutes and thought she might have fallen asleep when she spoke again. "Regina." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Perhaps you could try being nice to her. See if the two of you could spend time with Henry together or something. I think that is the best way to start." She yawned and then gave me a hug. "Thanks Jen. Goodnight."

I didn't sleep well that night, away from Gold and his warm arms. He could tell the next day when he came to pick me up. In the car he squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "Are you okay, dearie?" I smiled at him. "I had a rough night." His expression was troubled. "Another nightmare?" I shook my head and lifted our combined hands to kiss the back of his knuckles. "Just missed you." He gave my hands a squeeze before starting the car.

It wasn't until a few days later that I passed by the diner and through the window noticed Emma sitting with Regina and Henry, having supper. Neither woman looked comfortable, but that was to be expected, and at least they were being civil in Henry's presence. I smiled and continued on my way to the store. I needed a present for Gold because his birthday was coming up, but try as I might I couldn't find anything I thought he might like. "The man owns a pawnshop –he owns every interesting item this town has to offer." I grumbled as I walked out of the store, empty handed. I paused as I passed the bookstore and my eyes landed on the book in the display case. _The Princess and the Imp._ I found myself wandering into the little shop, and picking up the book, turned to the back to read the summary.

_**Princess Clarise had the perfect life. Loving parents and doting servants. More dresses than she could ever wear, and jewelry made of the finest gems. **_

_**She was sick of it. **_

_**All she'd ever wanted was an adventure and true love. **_

_**She'd never had adventure, coddled so by her parents, and now it seemed she would never have true love. Clarise was of a marrying age –indeed, she was well past the marrying age –and if she did not pick a suitor, her father would pick one for her. **_

_**She was desperate. **_

_**And then she fell in love with the most unavailable of suitors. He was an imp, and he was a prisoner of the king. **_

_**This is their story.**_

I stared at the book in my hands as an image of _sneaking out of a tall window and climbing down vines entered my mind. I wandered through the forest, never so far that I couldn't see the castle. My foot caught a rock and I stumbled down a hill_, _landing at the bottom with a painful thump. I groaned and sat up, rubbing at my head. In front of me yawned the mouth of a cave, and at first I didn't think anything of it. It was unremarkable, the way most caves are –surrounded by foliage and dark beyond the first few feet. What caught my attention was a speck of light, steadily growing larger. I scrambled up from my place and hid behind a tree. After a few minutes a man came out, dressed in the clothes of a palace guard. _

_I waited until he left and slipped into the cave. At first I was concerned I would lose my way, but after about twelve feet the cave took a sharp turn left and revealed a well-lit tunnel. I followed it, careful to not make any noise, and eventually came to the end, which was in shadows. I could hear grunts of pain and a man yelling obscenities. I found myself walking forward and using the torch in my hand to light the torches around the cell so that I could see into it –_ "Miss? Miss! Are you going to buy that?"

My head snapped up and my eyes landed on a young woman, no older than perhaps nineteen. When I didn't answer her she popped her gum in my face. "I said –are you going to buy that?" I blinked and nodded silently. I left after paying and headed home, trying to think of a place to store his gift so that Gold would never find it.


	15. A Visit

I sat in the tub, taking a long soak. I had been beyond stressed lately, trying to figure out what I was going to do from here with my life. I didn't want to leave Storybrooke –it had become the only home I'd ever really felt at ease in –but I also had responsibilities back in Boston. I ran my fingers through the rapidly chilling water, and rose up out of the tub with a sigh, wrapping myself in a towel and reaching for my cell. I had a call to make.

XX

I was doing my hair a few days later when the doorbell rang. I glanced over my shoulder at the bathroom door, where Gold was getting ready for our date tonight. It was our four month anniversary, and although I'd protested, he wanted to take me out. I headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs, putting in my earrings.

When the door opened I smiled in pleasant surprise. "Allan, I'm happy you made it this quickly. I wasn't expecting you for another few days. Please, come in." He followed me in silent awe, staring at the antiques that I had taken the time to organize carefully. We sat down on the sofa. "Would you like anything to drink?" He shook his head, and looked into my face imploringly. "Jen, are you sure you want to do this? This business means everything to you. You built it from the ground up! I don't know if I'm comfortable…" I took his hands in mine. "I don't need it anymore, Allan. You love it as much as I do, and I would rather leave it with you than have it fall into someone else's hands." He scrutinized me for a minute more before nodding and reaching into his briefcase with shaky hands. I signed the necessary documents, and took his hands again. "You will do great. If you ever have need of me, you do have my number. I'm not disappearing or anything."

He smoothed his hair down, and his hand froze midway to his lap. "Darling, I was thinking that perhaps we should go to –" I watched in amusement as Gold looked up from the calendar he was holding and realized we had company. He was bare but for a damp towel draped loosely around his hips. I saw Allan lick his lips out of the corner of my eyes. There was an awkward silence for a moment, in which I surreptitiously glanced between the two men who were studiously trying to ignore the other. I stood up and straightened my black cocktail dress, tugging it down closer to my knees. "How about some tea?"

XX

Sorry it's short, but at least I got it out. I'm struggling with the story. I want to just jump into the curse breaking, but I have to make things cohesive, and it is sooo difficult. I'm trying, and I apologize that the next few chapters are mostly going to be filler chapters. Some suggestions would be appreciated.


	16. Flashbacks

"_Princess. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I smiled as I set the basket of fruit I'd carried in with me onto the little table he had been provided with. "I decided to bring you something with substance. We can't have you catching ill from malnutrition." He giggled in that disconcerting way of his and stood up with a flourish. "I'm not sure, dearie. Your guards seem to have no such compunctions." My lips thinned. "I am getting very tired of their mistreatment." He shrugged, his large eyes trained on me. "I'm a prisoner dearie. I never expected fair treatment." I sat down on his cot and patted the spot next to me. "You expected to be imprisoned." It wasn't a question, I knew the answer from the way he'd phrased his statement. _

_He just gave me a mysterious smile and sat next to me, taking the basket from the table and lifting the cloth cover. "Ooh, oranges! I love oranges!" I smiled as he tore into the fruit. "I can't stay long, I've got to leave before my mother starts looking for me." My smile faded when I saw the dirty and ratty handkerchief he pulled out to clean his hands. "Well don't look at me like that, dearie. Not all of us are royalty." His sneer stung, but I brushed it off. He was trying to avoid showing how my reaction had hurt. I pulled my silk handkerchief from my sleeve and wiped it against his face. He caught my wrist, holding it gently. "You shouldn't dirty your pretty little cloth." His voice was higher than it had bee. He was nervous. "I'd rather I use it to clean you than anyone else." _

_I slipped my hand from his grasp, my handkerchief falling into his lap. I headed towards the cell of the door. "I'll be back when I can." _

"_Princess, your handkerchief!" I smiled at him over my shoulder. "Keep it."_

XX Rumplestiltskin's POV

_His head jerked up as footsteps sounded down the tunnel. As they got closer, he could make out the voices attached to them. "She's very ill, Grumpy. We have little choice. You heard what Doc said. A week left to live –perhaps two." Rumplestiltskin smiled gleefully. A problem in the kingdom! With Precious Snow, no doubt. It must be dire if Charming was coming to him for help. What should he ask for in return? Hmm…_

_He hid in the darkness until Charming had called his name twice. Didn't want him to think that he was eager to see him. _

"_Keep your pants on, Charming. I'm right here. What seems to be the problem?" His gleeful smile gave everything away. "Cut the crap, imp. You know why I'm here. I need your help." Rumplestiltskin wagged his finger. "I don't do something for nothing, Your Highness." Charming put one hand on his sword, the other pushing through his hair. "My daughter is ill, Rumplestiltskin. She's dying. The doctors can't cure her. You are our last hope." His grin froze on his face, before slowly sliding off. _Jennifer?_ He quietly assented._

_He'd been led straight to the princess's chambers. She was too ill to be moved or she would've been brought to him. He felt sick seeing her laying there –pale and ill and immobile. It was in direct contrast to all the things that Jennifer should be. He took a few weak steps closer to her bed. _

"_Well? Can you heal her?" His head snapped up to look at Snow, who stood next to her daughter's bedside, holding her hand. "My magic is weak from malnourishment. That being said, I am capable. I just need a little something to give me a boost." _

"_And what would that be?" Charming this time. _

"_A kiss." _

_The response was instantaneous. "Absolutely not!" _

_Feeling sudden fury, Rumplestiltskin snarled. "A kiss will give me the power I require to save your daughter's life. Unless you would rather she die?" Silence from all parties. "I didn't think so." He bent over the bed and slid a hand behind Jennifer's head. His other hand slid beneath her back and carefully, oh so carefully, cradled her close to his body. His heart beat hard as he pressed his lips gently to hers. _

_He immediately felt a charge in his magic. As soon as he felt the spike he started channeling that power into her unconscious form. _

_Nothing really happened for a few moments. Then he felt arms slide around his neck. A hand tangled in his hair and the lips beneath his opened. There was no hesitation, no thought put in to his actions when he allowed his tongue to be swept into her mouth, exploring the recesses. A small little moan escaped her lips, and suddenly he felt himself pulled away harshly. "That's enough!" He looked up into the seething face of Charming. Oops. Perhaps he got a bit carried away. "What is the meaning of this?" _

"_Papa?" All heads in the room turned to the voice. Rumplestiltskin's breath whooshed out of his chest. Never before had his princess been more radiant. His magic had left her golden and glowing with health. Her lips were bruised and red from his kiss. _

_Charming and Snow rushed to her side. "What is it darling? You're feeling better?" Jennifer smiled. "I am. Thank you for getting Rumplestiltskin. What did he ask for as payment?" Both royals had forgotten about a payment, and turned to Rumplestiltskin with resignation written on their faces. _

"_He needs a bed." They turned back to Jennifer at her sudden words. "His little cot can really not be comfortable. And you need to speak to the guards about how they treat him." When Rumplestiltskin made no protest, he was led from the room and guards were sent for to retrieve the bed. _

_That night should have been the best night of sleep he'd gotten since his imprisonment. Instead he spent the night tossing –haunted by the memory of silken lips beneath his own._


	17. Unexpected and Unwanted

Gold was _not _having a good day. At lunch he'd spilled ketchup on his suit. Ketchup. On his custom Armani suit. As if that wasn't bad enough, Henry had caught ill and threw up. All over his shoes. On the way home, a car driving by had hit a particularly deep puddle left from the storm the night before. Guess who got drenched in ice cold dirty water?

He was currently pulling off his ruined suit and throwing the pieces in different directions around the bedroom. His shoes came off next and went straight into the trash. What a waste of money! Those things were real leather. He yanked off the tie he'd chosen today –red. Perhaps the color had been like a signal that fate could just not resist. _Here! Oh, over here! Fuck up this guy's day!_

The doorbell rang. He cursed and headed downstairs to answer it. He didn't care that he was only in his boxers. If the idiot at his door wanted to see him badly enough to come to his house instead of his shop, Gold could not be held responsible for what he was or was not wearing in his own home.

Unfortunately, this was fate kicking his ass again. Perhaps it wasn't the tie?

He was surprised to find Allan on the other side of the door –hand poised to ring the doorbell again. Allan was evidently surprised as well. He stumbled backwards and almost took a tumble down the stairs. Gold reached out –instinctive, of course –and gave a firm yank on the lad. It turned out to be a little too firm, sending them both off balance and over the threshold of the Gold household. Gold landed hard on his back, his mouth open in breathless pain. Allan landed on top of him, his own mouth -open in surprise –mashing against the older man's. When Jenna walked in to the house a few minutes later and found them still like that, she was unable to resist taking a picture.

She grinned at the two as they scrambled apart. "Well Rodric, if you'd told me you were attracted to Allan I would have understood. You didn't have to wait to make a move until I was gone." Gold's mouth –bruised and a little bloody –opened and closed like a fish, before he turned and stomped up the stairs. Jenna grinned at Allan, whose face was attempting to pose as a tomato. "What can I do for you?"

XX

Another chapter. Sorry this one's not as long, guys, but I'm short on time and pretty exhausted. I hope this was an interesting chapter!


	18. Cuts Like a Knife

Gold was standing in his shop, turning over a well –worn silk handkerchief -Jennifer's handkerchief. He tucked it in his jacket's chest pocket when the bell over the store chimed. He smiled when he saw that it was Jenna, with a basket over one arm. She set it on the countertop, leaning on her tiptoes to give him a kiss over the glass. "I brought you some lunch. Heavens know that if I didn't feed you, you wouldn't eat." He chuckled at her and lifted the cloth covering the basket. "Oranges?" He was slightly alarmed. They'd played this scene before, with a different setting. Did she remember? "I know how you like oranges, Rodric. I also made some egg salad sandwiches."

They started eating in a comfortable silence. Jenna spoke up when they were almost done eating. "I saw Emma and Regina today." He rose an eyebrow. That wasn't so unusual. "They were kissing." His hand, which had been reaching for another orange, missed its target and hit her cup. The tea inside spilled onto her white shirt.

She looked around in a panic, trying to find something to sop up the mess. He withdrew his handkerchief and handed it to her. "I am so sorry Jenna. I didn't mean to do that." She glanced up at him in distress. "I know you didn't Rodric. It's just –this is my favorite shirt and I know that tea stains…" He nodded. "Come with me into the back. I'll need you to take off your shirt." She followed easily, the shirt over her head before they'd even made it into the back. He took it from her and filled the little sink he had with cold water, dumping the shirt in and working at the fabric to get the stain out.

While he was doing that, Jenna looked at the scrap of blue silk she still held onto. Why was this so… familiar? She looked at the initials embroidered in the corner. Not Gold's initials. Who's…

_I was in the garden behind the palace. Perhaps garden was not the word –it brought to mind small plots of land with vegetables. This garden was large –containing a variety of flowers, and a small orchard. I was standing in the orchard, wondering why we didn't have any apple trees. What would an apple taste like? _

_An old woman called me from the gates at the end of the orchard, probably no more than twenty feet from where I stood. I wandered over to her. "Can I help you?" She smiled a nearly toothless smile and pulled a strange looking fruit from the basket on her arm. "The villagers have had enough of my fruits for the day and suggested I come here to peddle my wares." My fingers reached out and brushed against the red flesh of the fruit. "What is it?" The woman stared at me for a moment, mouth hanging open. "You've never had an apple?" I shook my head as I continued to stare at the strange fruit. She looked between me and the basket a few times and finally said "Here. Take this. I won't even charge you for it, since it's your first time and all." I smiled at her and took the fruit, reveling in the feel of its flesh. It was like no fruit I'd ever held before. I looked back up at her, a little confused. "How do I eat it? Do I have to peel it?" She smiled in amusement. "No silly child. Just take a bite."_

_I looked to the fruit in my hand and brought it to my lips, letting my teeth sink into it. Instantly the most delicious juice flooded my mouth. It was so sweet! And it was crunchy! I began to feel a little woozy. I stumbled forward, my fingers clasping the bars of the gate. "What did you do to me?" The woman cackled, her face contorting and morphing into that of a woman in her prime, with pale skin and raven hair. Her black eyes glittered maliciously. "I've placed you under a curse sweetie. One you will never awaken from." Her blood red grin was the last thing I saw._

' _**Rumplestiltskin, I need you.**_'

_XX Rumplestiltskin's POV_

_Footsteps sounded down the tunnel that led to my cell. I stepped forward and leaned against the bars, straining my ears to hear the whispered conversation. _

"_Charming, we have no choice. It's a sleeping curse, and as far as we are aware, she doesn't have a true love. She's certainly never mentioned a boy. Unless we want her to be like this forever, we need help."_

"_I understand Snow. It's just that last time we asked for his help he kissed her. I don't want my baby to have to go through that again." _

"_Charming, we will have to let him do whatever he can to help."_

_I felt my heart stop. Jennifer was under a sleeping curse? And they expected me to save her? The only thing that could break a sleeping curse was true love's kiss, but it seemed like they didn't know that. Maybe… maybe I __**could**__ save her. Perhaps what we had was –stop. What was I thinking? That she could love someone like me was laughable! _

"_Rumplestiltskin!" My eyes snapped to the speaker –Charming. In his arms was a limp and unconscious Jennifer. I fought the urge to swallow the lump in my throat. "Ah, Charming. Need me to save the day again?" His eyes narrowed. "She's under a sleeping curse, imp. I need to know if you can break it." I beckoned them closer. "Pass her through the bars if you would, Your Highness. I can't work magic through the bars of the cell." Reluctantly, she was passed to me. I cradled her close to my chest. "I need to kiss her your highness. Much as before, my magi c is weak." He opened his mouth to reply harshly. "That's fine, Rumplestiltskin. Just… be careful with her." Charming glared at his wife. _

_I took a deep breath and lowered my face to hers. Our lips met, and I felt the pulse of pure, white magic immediately. The Dark One in me recoiled, but the man in me reveled in the feeling of love that surrounded me. I felt a hand on my cheek and my eyes opened as I pulled away. Jennifer was smiling at me sleepily. "Rum." The noise that escaped me was nothing I'd ever made before –but I'd never felt like this before. I attacked her lips again, pressing fervent little kisses onto her awaiting mouth. She was smiling and accepting them, giving me little kisses of her own. We both had forgotten the presence of her parents. _

_I set her down on her feet. "I thought I'd never see you again." She whispered, staring up at my face. I smiled at her, my fingers sliding into her hair to cradle the back of her head. "I should think you had more faith in me than that." _

XX Jenna's POV

I looked up, startled out of my sudden daydream when a large pair of cold hands cupped my face. My green eyes snapped to my favorite pair of warm chocolate eyes, which looked down at me with concern. "Are you alright, dearie? I tried calling your name several times." For a moment the two worlds overlapped and I saw the green-gold imp standing in front of me. "Rodric?"

No, that wasn't right –that name didn't quite fit with the man that was looking down at me with concern. "Rumple…" His eyes widened and he took a step back, stumbling over something and landing hard against the desk. I stood up and approached him, the image of the imp clearly imposed upon the man I was in love with. My fingers reached out shakily and touched his face. Smooth skin –human skin. "Rodric?" I asked again, wobbling on my feet. I felt his arms come around me just as the world started to spin. "I'm here, Princess. I won't leave you."

XX

_I'd slipped out of the castle after I was certain everyone had fallen asleep –climbing down the vines that grew next to my window. After the long, treacherous walk in the dark through the woods I made it to Rumplestiltskin's cell. I slipped in and over to the bed that was positioned in the corner, barely a black blur. My fingers reached out and found a shoulder and I shook it gently. He sat up with a start, ready for battle until he realized who it was. "Jennifer?" _

_I could understand his surprise –I'd been forbidden to leave the castle for weeks now. Boldly, I dropped my cloak and climbed into bed with him. His arms circled around me and I enjoyed his embrace silently for a moment._

"_Mama and Papa were talking last night." He hummed low in his throat and I felt the vibrations on my cheek. "I overheard that we are going to be cursed and sent to a new land." He stiffened beneath me. "So it's true. Why would you create such a curse, Rum?" I looked up at him, squinting in the dark. There were tears in my eyes. "I can't tell you, dearie. Not right now. Maybe someday, but it isn't the right time." I looked down at his chest, biting my lip. _

"_Will I remember you?"_

_There was the question, the one that had been furrowed in my brain since I'd learned of the curse. He didn't answer for a long moment. "No."_

_It took all I had not to cry, but I bit hard on my lip and held it in, burying my face into his chest. When I felt I had better control of myself I pulled away enough to look up into his face. My eyes had adjusted enough that I could see his expression of sadness. _

"_Make love to me." It took a moment for him to register my request. "Please Rumplestiltskin. If I can't have forever, can't I at least have tonight?" His resolve was broken as he pulled me closer and whispered gentle kisses along my skin. _

_He took his time undressing me, caressing every inch of skin he revealed. I sighed and then gasped at the unfamiliar feeling of his lips tugging gently on my nipple. His hands massaged the skin on my lower back and I moaned in pleasure. I tugged weakly at his linen shirt and he chuckled at me before pulling it over his head. I let my fingers run over his rough skin, mesmerized by the feel of his chest beneath my hands. He tired after a moment and nudged my arms so that they slid around his neck. The kiss he stole from me left me breathless and gasping. He gently parted my legs and slid forward so that he was flush against me. I stilled in anticipation. "This will hurt, sweetheart." I swallowed hard and nodded. He bent his head and took my lips with his as he slid into me. One hand gently tugged on a nipple, the other snuck between us to slide gently against my clit to detract from the pain. _

_After a moment I relaxed into the kiss and I began to feel the tingles of pleasure. His fingers stroked my skin and he looked at me with his deep chocolate eyes. "I love you." He'd never said the words before, and in that moment I felt his love more clearly than ever before. I tilted my head back and cried out as my orgasm overcame me. I felt him stiffen above me and he groaned into my hair. He fell to the side and gathered me into his arms, pressing kisses to my face. "I love you." He repeated. I smiled sleepily at him. "I love you too." _

_I awoke a few hours later, cold and alone. I slid out of bed, looking for my absent bedmate. I found him lying near the wall of the cave. For a moment I feared that someone had snuck in and killed him while I slept, but in the next moment I saw his chest moving. I breathed a sigh of relief and kneeled down by him with the intent to wake him up. In the pale light from the torches I saw something glinting in his grasp. I slid it from his fingers, holding it carefully. It was a kris, beautiful and deadly sharp. On it was an engraving that was difficult to make out in the low light. _

"_Rumplestiltskin?" _

_The man before me jerked, his flailing arm smacking into the hand that held the dagger. The knife slashed upwards on my opposite wrist and I felt a blinding pain. I blacked out. Perhaps if I'd known that this was the last I'd ever see of my golden skinned lover I would've made a greater attempt to remain conscious. _

XX

I gasped and sat up, my hand flying to my wrist where I could still feel the blade slicing through my skin. I fumbled for the bedside lamp before managing to turn it on. Gold must've somehow gotten me home. He was asleep on the bed next to me, haggard looking. Worry lines creased his forehead and he looked like he'd given up shaving for a few days. My fingers smoothed down his face and his expression relaxed.

"How long have I been out for?" I muttered as I stood up on unsteady legs. I wobbled my way to the bathroom, using the wall as a support. When I came back I was feeling a little stronger, and the alarm clock read four fifty –three am. God I was hungry. I made my way downstairs and looked around in the fridge to find it nearly empty. Digging through the cupboards I found some pancake mix. I decided to make pancakes and use what little eggs we had for some scrambled eggs.

Gold came hurrying down the stairs a few minutes after I'd started mixing ingredients together. "Oh, thank the gods!" He pulled me in his arms and kissed me fiercely. The mixing spoon fell to the floor but I paid it no mind as my body melded to his. He pulled back after a few moments. "I was so worried, love. You were asleep for three days." I smiled at him. "I'm so sorry Rodric. I didn't mean to frighten you. I don't know what happened. I must've caught ill and not known until it was bad enough for that to happen." He didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. "Come back to bed dearest. If only for my sake. I can't sleep with you gone." My expression softened. "Let me make us some food first. You look like you've been starving without me around to order you to eat." He nodded wearily and I prepared him breakfast.

I didn't know that this was going to be the last breakfast I spent with him as my regular world counterpart.

XX

Last chapter before the curse is broken, guys! Don't worry though, we are definitely not done with the story. Hope you liked it. Read and Review!


	19. A Broken Curse

I was tracing the scar on my wrist. Before last night I'd assumed it was a product of my father's abuse, but that dream had been too vivid to deny that perhaps… My cell went off and I picked it up without glancing at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Jenna? Oh god, Jenna. Henry ate an apple turnover that Regina made for me and now he's in the hospital because it was poisoned and it doesn't look good at all and I don't know what to do and I'm freaking out!" It was Emma. I swallowed hard, my knuckles turning white around the phone. "Are you at the hospital?" At her confirmation I grabbed my keys from the kitchen table. "I'm on my way."

XX

I walked down the street with Mary-Margaret, on our way to her apartment from the hospital. Henry had just been announced dead, and neither of us wanted to be there and intrude upon Emma's last moment with her son. She would come to us when she was ready, and we would be there to provide support. Neither of us talked as we walked, too solemn to consider speaking. David was walking towards us, his path carefully clear of intersecting with our own. When we were almost parallel to him I felt a pulse of pure, unfiltered… magic. I stopped dead. Mary-Margaret next to me ground to a halt, and I could see all over the street people doing the same thing. Memories flooded my head, memories of a different world, and I understood where my dreams had been coming from and why they unsettled me so. If I'd known this was coming, I would have expected my two worlds to clash. Instead, they settled easily together, layering on top of one another in such a way that they almost seemed like long lost lovers.

My mind reeled with images of myself tangled in sheets with a man with grey gold skin and warm brown eyes. "Rumplestiltskin." I turned and ran, vaguely aware of Mary-Margaret calling my name. I was focused on calloused grey hands skimming my body, stopping at my neck and tilting my head for a kiss. I remembered a lily, conjured from nowhere and tucked safely behind my ear. I could almost feel his breath ghost across my face. I opened the door to his shop, not even realizing I had done so until I heard the bell ding. He came out of the back and looked surprised to see me. I didn't waste time sliding into his embrace, his arms around me tightly and his head resting on top of mine, his name on my lips like a benediction. _Rumplestiltskin._ And oh, how I'd missed him –not that I loved his Storybrooke persona any less, and I knew Gold was in all actuality a large part of Rumplestiltskin's personality –but I'd missed his jibes, and his dry wit and morbid humor that I really shouldn't have found as funny as I did. I pulled back to study his face, comparing it to his fairytale counterpart. Was it odd that I preferred his grey skin and leather pants over his human appearance?

I leaned up and pressed my lips to his desperately. His left hand grasped my hair and I found myself against the glass countertop. His other hand gripped my waist so tightly that I could already feel bruises forming, but I didn't care. After a moment he pulled away from me and I looked up at him with the most confused expression. "Didn't you remember me?" He sighed then, his smile falling. "I remembered everything about the Enchanted Forest the moment I heard your sister's name. Everything except you. When you entered my life I never would have guessed that we'd been lovers in our land of magic. Everything felt so new to me. When you started to have dreams of our time together… I started to remember. Little pieces, nothing major, nothing terribly important." His smile returned and I could see the glint of his teeth. "Now the curse is broken, and I remember everything of our time together. Every precious little detail." My own face was lit by a smile, and I pulled him down and kissed him, pouring everything I had into it. His arms were tight around my waist. There was nothing gentle about this kiss, all teeth and tongue and desperate love.

I didn't realize what I was doing until his suit jacket hit the floor. When realization dawned I smiled wickedly at him and attacked the buttons on his shirt. He had pulled back from my mouth and was watching my face with aroused amusement. "Something wrong love?" My eyebrows were furrowed and there was a scowl on my face. "Too many damn buttons." I muttered. He laughed huskily and pulled me in for a kiss. Buttons momentarily forgotten I kissed back, pushing the shirt over his shoulders. Of course it didn't get far, being half unbuttoned as it was.

My fingers were working on his tie when the bell over the door went off. Gold reluctantly pulled himself away from me to greet whoever was stupid enough to come into his shop after remembering who he was. My eyes followed his movement and landed on Mary –Margaret and David. _Mom and Dad. _"What is going on here?" Gold's arms around me flexed as if debating on pulling me closer or letting me go. After a moment he released me.

I smiled brightly at them, running into their arms. They held me close protectively. "Are you alright honey? He didn't hurt you, did he?" My brow furrowed in confusion. "Of course not, mom. He would never hurt me." I pulled away from them a little and held my hand out for him to take. He approached cautiously, eyes trained warily on Charming. "No swords today I hope." He halfheartedly joked in an attempt to cover up his nervousness. Snow attempted a little smile, Charming just glowered.

"Mom, Dad. I know that you don't really like him, but this is the man I've decided to spend eternity with. Could you please at least try to accept him? For my sake?" Snow –good hearted woman as she was –opened her other arm and pulled him closer into her embrace with me.

After a moment of consideration, and a jab in the ribs from Snow, Charming gave him a pat on the back, at the same time saying "If you ever hurt my baby girl…" After a moment we all broke apart. Charming gave him another quick pat. "Welcome to the family." I saw Rumpelstiltskin pale when he realized what he'd gotten himself into.

XX

Hey guys. Sorry for it taking so long. At least now the curse is broken! I'm probably going to be working soon, on top of going to school like I have been doing, so updates may become more sporadic and infrequent. I apologize for any inconvenience but I urge you to continue your support for this story. I need it to be able to find the will to write :P


	20. Dinner

Gold loosened his tie nervously. It wasn't that he didn't like Mary-Margaret and David. They were alright he supposed –the former was a little too naïve, the latter extremely oblivious. No, it wasn't Mary-Margaret and David he had problems with.

He wasn't meeting with them tonight.

He was meeting with Snow White and Prince Charming –his girlfriend's parents.

They were having dinner.

He was positive that by the end of the night, Charming would have attempted at least once to ram him through with that sword he was so fond of.

What's worse? If the man did attempt to harm his person, he was not at liberty to strike back, or Jenna would never speak to him again.

Tonight was going to be a disaster.

XX Gold's POV

I tugged at my tie as we stood in front of the door to Mary-Margaret's apartment. Jenna gave my hand a squeeze and smiled up at me. "Relax. They're not going to kill you." Her reassurance was anything but. I could feel the small velvet box in my suit jacket's pocket burning a hole into my chest, and I remembered why it was so important to make a good impression at dinner tonight.

Now I just needed to figure out how to get my intended away from her parents for half an hour.

XX

Dinner was going well. Well, better than I had expected. Charming hadn't done anything stupid, but he was alternating between glaring at me and casting longing glances at his bedroom. No doubt that was where he kept his sword collection. Supper came and went, and when Snow mentioned dessert, I perked right up. I couldn't help it –I had a soft spot for sweets. Snow came out of the kitchen a minute later, empty handed and scowling.

"David! I told you to stay out of the cheesecake!" Charming had the sense to look ashamed. "I couldn't help it Mare. You know I'm a sucker for your baking. I really did try."

I felt surprise and not a little bit of relief. Charming and I had something in common? That was convenient. If the situation started to get out of control, I might be able to change the topic.

"I'll go to the store and pick up some ice cream." Jenna volunteered. Yes! Jenna just gave me the opportunity to speak with her parents alone. I smiled up at her and handed her a fifty. "Pick whatever you would like dear. Snow, Charming, would you like anything? I'm buying." Snow politely declined, but there was a certain gleam in David's eyes. "I'd like a carton of peanut butter ice cream, some tiramisu, a few candy bars –you know what kinds I like –um… grab a cheesecake while you're out too. To make it up to Mare for me eating hers. Probably won't taste as great, but oh well." I felt a reluctant smirk tug at the corners of my lips and I handed Jenna another twenty to be on the safe side. She gave me an apologetic smile and kissed my cheek before heading out the door.

Snow broke the awkward silence after a moment. "Let's move to the island and have some tea."

XX

I hadn't been this uncomfortable _–scared_, my brain whispered at me –since the night I lost Bae. I did my best to keep from fidgeting, my fingers tightly clasped over the head of my cane. "Uh…" I paused. Uh? Great way to start this conversation. Where was the feared dealmaker when I needed him, needed his courage and power? I cleared my throat and tried again.

"I just wanted you both to know that… Jennifer has been brightening my days since the moment I first met her. Back in our world… she saved me from the brutality of a guard. She nursed me back to health, and she came by as often as she could to make sure that I continued to be treated well. She was adamant that I shouldn't be… treated… like a monster, even though I was one. I fell in love with her.

"When we came to this world I lost my memories, just like you did. I regained them when Emma came to town, but my memories of Jennifer were locked from me until the curse was broken. Even without knowing her, without knowing of our previous love, I fell in love with her again.

"What I'm trying to say is that no matter what, no matter what curse is cast or what evil tries to tear us apart, I will always love your daughter, and I will always fight for her. I will never purposefully hurt her, and she will always be provided for.

"All this being said," I paused to pull the box out of my pocket. I heard Snow's gasp and I passed it gingerly over to her. She opened it and put a hand to her throat. "I would like to ask for your permission to marry your daughter. She has given me more happiness that I have ever before experienced, and I would like nothing better than to return the favor."

They were silent for a few minutes. Snow was admiring the ring. Charming was scrutinizing me, looking for any falsity. "I need time to think about it." Snow looked up, her gaze narrowing sharply on her husband. "Charming…." He frowned defensively. "I didn't say no, I said I needed time. This is a big step, and I want to think it through and make sure that it is the best choice for my baby girl."

Snow handed me back the box and I tucked it into my pocket a second before the door opened, revealing Jenna loaded down with plastic bags. I stood up and took as many bags from her as I could before giving her a chaste kiss.

XXX

Hey guys. This one was kinda hard. Good God, I felt so nervous for him, it's ridiculous. Happy that he's planning on taking that step. Hope you enjoyed it!


	21. A Spoiled Surprise

It wasn't as if he wasn't trying. He really was. It was just –every time he worked up the courage to ask her, something got in the way!

The first time, he'd made a romantic dinner –only for her to run late with Emma and not return home until after the food had become cold. She'd apologized profusely with tears in her eyes. He wasn't going to propose unless the occasion was absolutely perfect, so he kept his mouth shut on the subject.

The second time, he was going to take her out to eat at the same restaurant where they'd had their first date. He'd had to cancel their reservation when he found out that it was Henry's birthday and they were expected at the party.

All of his plans had been frustrated, and it was extremely upsetting. He wasn't sure how to propose –hell, he wasn't sure he would even have the chance!

XX

He got home earlier than usual, exhausted and dejected. All he wanted was to hold his favorite princess and forget about his problems. Unfortunately, he couldn't find said princess. She wasn't in the library or kitchen –her usual haunts- and she wasn't in the living room or taking a bubble bath.

_Maybe she's hanging out with Emma today._ He trudged upstairs and stopped when he saw the bedroom door open. His heart leapt with anticipation. She was here? He pushed the door open with his cane, and his breath caught in his throat. There, outlined in the evening sun and sitting on their bed was Jenna. He recognized the black velvet box cradled in her hand and he felt as if his world was crashing down around him. He saw a pile of socks and boxers on the bed. His underwear drawer was hanging open.

She looked up at him, and he noticed with an almost detached pain that there were tears on her cheeks. She stood and stepped toward him. His heart palpitated. This was where she told him that things were moving too fast for her, where she'd move out and break off their ties – He was startled out of his panicked state when she cupped his cheek.

"Is this why you've been acting so strange lately? Why you've been trying to give me romantic dinners?" He didn't answer her immediately, instead scrutinizing her face for tell –tale signs of rejection. He looked away after a moment. "I –" She turned his head, forcing his eyes to meet hers. She searched his expression.

XX Jenna's POV

I'd been ecstatic to find the ring while putting away his laundry. Now though… There was guilt in his eyes. Panic. What if I'd misread the situation? What if… What if the ring wasn't meant for me? Oh, god –"Are you cheating on me?" The words had spilled out of my mouth without the permission of my brain. My mouth worked overtime to try and rectify the situation, to salvage the relationship. "You can tell me, Rumple. I won't be happy but we can work things out –" My hurried babble was cut short by a desperate kiss. His hands gripped tightly to my upper arms and I grasped his suit lapels. My back hit the door and he broke off the kiss, molding me to him. I rested my cheek on his chest.

"Of course I'm not cheating on you, dearest." I listened to his heart. "I didn't want you to find out this way. About the ring, I mean. It was supposed to be…" He trailed off, stroking my hair. "Romantic?" I supplied. I felt him smile. "It was supposed to be perfect."

I pulled away to look up at him with a smile. "I could've never imagined a more perfect way to become engaged." He smiled then, lifting my hands and pressing a kiss on my knuckles. "I'm happy I've not disappointed –wait. Was that a yes?" I responded with a kiss.


	22. A Wedding

Our wedding was a small affair, but no less beautiful for it.

We'd only been engaged a month when Rumple started calling up wedding planners (he refused to allow me to plan the wedding myself, even though party planning was what I did for a living) and setting dates. He'd consult me on colors, and flower arrangements, and who I wanted for my bridesmaids (Emma, Ruby, and Snow), but he refused my offers to help with anything else. He didn't want me to be stressed about it, the way many brides were.

As a result of being kept mostly in the dark, my breath was stolen from me when I saw everything set up in the garden behind our house. It was the most beautiful spot to have a wedding. The flowers were all in full bloom despite the lateness of the season, and the small congregation of friends and family were already seated.

They all stood as I walked down the aisle with David, but I was too busy noticing the beauty of the setting to take count of who was there.

David deposited my gently onto Rum's arm, kissed my cheek, and stepped back to his place as –ironically- the best man. My soon to be husband didn't have many friends, something I resolved myself to fix.

"It's so beautiful." I whispered as I pretended to be listening to the preacher. "You're quite right." I knew he wasn't talking about the venue and I felt a pleased flush creep up my cheeks.

The wedding was over with surprising swiftness, and he smirked at me when I commented on it at the reception held in Town Hall. "I know how bored these things can make you." I'd offered him a kiss, which of course led to several more as the crowd chanted and encouraged.

We snuck away from the reception early, something that Ruby assured me would not be frowned upon, and crashed through the door to our house about ten minutes later. "Sorry… I can't… lift you over… the threshold." He panted between kisses. I responded by kicking the door shut behind us.

We headed for the stairs, but didn't make it up to the bedroom. My heel caught on one and I fell backwards, pulling him with me. Ignoring the jolt of pain I set to work getting rid of the damn buttons on his suit and pushing the jacket to the floor. He helped me, removing his tie and shrugging out of his shirt. The next thing to go was his shoes and socks, and then he struggled to find the zipper on my dress. His pants and my underthings found themselves lost somewhere at the foot of the stairs, and then I was wrapping my legs around his waist and gasping as he filled me.

Despite our urgency for this, we moved slowly together. Unhurried. We spent what felt like hours on the stairs as he made love to me. I was trembling and gasping. He whispered sweet little nothings in my ear. His voice was raspy, gravelly, his brogue thicker than usual as he told me how good I felt wrapped around him, and then I was sighing my release into his ear, and he was stilling as his seed spilled into me.

I don't know how long we lay together on the stairs, but sometime during the night we stumbled the rest of the way up and into our bedroom before collapsing, intertwined, onto the bed.

XX

Sorry for the wait guys. My muse hasn't really been with me lately but I forced something out. Hope it doesn't feel too forced.

Belle needs to come in eventually but I'm not quite sure how to do that. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


	23. A New Friend

Rumpelstiltskin and I had just returned to the land of the living –having spent two weeks in total isolation at his cabin as our honeymoon. People hadn't had much chance to congratulate either of us on our nuptials. Although I hardly believed anybody would get around to doing so –what with my husband's reputation and all –I certainly didn't expect the looks that I received on my walk to the store. Some were confused, I could understand those. Others were pitying or disgusted, and those made me upset. My husband and I had a deep love, and in their minds they were turning it into some type of sick and twisted union.

I looked away furiously from another pitying smile to see Regina headed my way. She hadn't noticed me yet, as she was reading over some type of paper. Judging by the scowl on her face, it was probably something to do with City Council.

Taking advantage of the fact that she hadn't seen me, I ducked into the nearest building, quickly shutting the door behind me and pressing myself against it. I peered out through the window, and gave a small sigh when she passed by without looking up.

"Hiding from somebody?"

I shrieked and jumped a little, whirling around to face the owner of the voice.

A woman stood there, beautiful chestnut curls and wide brown eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!"

I looked around the room as I answered her, amazed at finding myself in a library.

"I was avoiding Regina. I'm sorry, how long has Storybrooke –"

"Had a library? Not long. Well, the building's always been here, but from what I gather it's always been rather neglected. I'm the new librarian."

I gave her an appraising look. She didn't look like a librarian. She grinned at me. "Would you like some tea?"

XX

I sipped from a cup and explored the shelves of books. Belle –as I'd learned her name was –followed unobtrusively.

"So why were you hiding from The Evil Queen? I mean, besides the obvious reasons."

I shot her an amused glance. "I'm not in the mood to deal with her today. I've recently gotten married and not many approve, least of all the mayor." She nodded solemnly.

"She didn't approve of my love either. Tricked me into losing his trust." I frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry. Don't worry, Belle, I'm sure that there's still some hope."

In the end I returned home with a lighter heart, two books, and no groceries.

XX

So! Jenna has now met Belle. I think we're in for a bit of angst in the future. Special thanks to **Kiteria** for the idea of how to introduce Belle. Let me know if you like it!


	24. Illnesses and Book Returns

I was dying.

Well, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration. I continuously experienced hot and cold flashes, my stomach was killing me and I couldn't stop vomiting.

Rumple stroked my cheek as my vomiting subsided and I gasped for air.

"It's alright love, everything's alright. I've got you baby. I won't leave you."

I gave a shuddering groan. "You need to go open the shop."

He handed me my toothbrush and rubbed my back as I brushed my teeth. "Darling, you aren't well. I can't leave you alone, I'll worry all day."

Watching the toothpaste swirl down the drain I gave him a weak little smile. "You need to go in. You know how business has been lately, with everyone wanting their pre-curse items back."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but something on my face must have convinced him otherwise.

"At least let me call somebody. Emma, perhaps, or Mary –Margaret."

I smiled easily, pleased to have won this battle. "Emma, please. Mary –Margaret is at work right now. Oh, do you think you can return my library books on your way to work? They were due back yesterday but with the way I've been feeling…" He nodded, sliding me back into bed and pulling the covers up to my chin and moving the trashcan into easy reach before pulling out his phone.

XX

Emma rubbed my back as I stared blankly at the little device in front of me.

She'd come over immediately when she'd heard I was ill, and shooed my husband off with little ceremony.

_She'd proceeded to make me a cup of cocoa and some toast with jam. I was surprised to find myself ravenous at the idea of this particular meal and quickly ate it up, finding it easy to keep the sweet drink and perfectly matched toast in my stomach. _

_She smiled at me and then produced a box from her black leather handbag. _

"_What's that, Em? I don't need any anti –nausea, this is actually the best I've felt all day." She shook her head and solemnly showed me the box. _

"_It's not anti –nausea."  
I stared at the box. "You think I may be pregnant?" She pressed the box into my hands._

"_Only one way to find out."_

XX Mr. Gold's POV

Jennifer's books tucked safely under my arm, I made my way across town. I ignored the glares that people believed they were 'surreptitiously' giving me and crossed the street to the library.

I walked up to the front desk, mildly amused to see heels sticking out from behind it. What on earth was the librarian doing on the floor?

"I'm here to return two books."

She gasped and hit her head on the desk above her. "I'll be with you in a moment, I just need to finish sorting these books."

I barely heard her, my mind on my ill wife and her sister with a dubious bedside manner. Gods, I hope Emma wasn't berating Jenna for marrying a monster. Maybe I should just go home….

The woman was speaking again, her voice slightly muffled through the wood. "I don't recall the sound of your voice, are you returning them for a friend?"

"My wife, actually." I responded, still debating the pros and cons of ignoring my wife's demands and returning home.

"Ah, Mrs. Gold, then. She's the only married patron I've received so far. Most have been children, and Red has come in here a few times, although I think it's more to spend time with me than to actually borrow anything."

She stood up finally, and the books in my hands thumped to the floor.

_Belle?_


	25. Leaving

The front door opened and closed with a slam and I felt my heart stop. Rumplestiltskin was home.

I clutched the pregnancy test a little tighter in my fist. Emma had gone an hour ago, at my insistence. I needed to be alone, to decide how to tell him.

The look on his face when he entered the living room stopped any words from spilling from my mouth.

He looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

He stared at me for a long moment, indecision and pain on his face.  
"What's happened?"

My question seemed to have decided him, for he took a heavy seat in his armchair.

"The librarian. _Belle._"

My brow furrowed in confusion. "Belle?"

He nodded, avoiding my face.

"She was… my true love. Once, a long time ago."

My heart constricted in my chest, but I pressed on.

"What happened?"

The fingers of his right hand traced over his wedding ring and my eyes followed their path, almost mesmerized.

"I did not believe her love was true. I cast her out… Regina told me that she had been tortured and then murdered by men under her father's employ."

My head felt light, and my lungs struggled for air.

'_Don't worry, Belle, I'm sure that there's still some hope.'_

Oh gods, had I unwittingly encouraged a woman to take my husband from me?

Another thought followed quickly –how could _I_ be his true love if _she_ was his true love? There was only ever one for each life force…

His eyes were on me now, and I swallowed hard and forced myself to meet that chocolate gaze.

"There is only one true love for each life force per lifetime. But my dear, I have lived so many lifetimes… I am a difficult man to love. Perhaps that is why I've only ever had two."

"And now you have a choice." My voice was strong, it didn't waver. A small portion of my brain congratulated me. "Which true love to choose? Because you cannot have us both, Rumplestiltskin."

My hand clenched almost subconsciously on the little device in my hand.

There was no way I could tell him now. It would influence his decision, and I would never know if he chose me for love or if he chose me because of duty.

That also meant I couldn't stay here. He was not a stupid man, and he was sure to figure out that this was more than a stomach flu. I stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to pack a bag and have Emma come get me. I can't be here with you until you've chosen."

_Until you've chosen me._

I left the words unsaid, but they hung in the air like the smell of ripe bananas. Almost tangible.

I forced myself to cast him a glance over my shoulder on my way to the stairs. His expression almost had me running back to his side, but I steeled my resolve and continued on my way.


End file.
